GOOD MORNING WORLD

The awakening of a new day in my little corner of the world is always exciting, but especially in the winter.  The trees are bare so I can watch the squirrels and birds even better as they go about their morning routine.  The nests that the squirrels have made for themselves continually amaze me.  So high up in the sky, made secure to withstand the cold and rugged weather of winter; made only of things provided by nature.  The little critters romp around in the trees, daredevil jumping from limb to limb; some of those limbs are so thin even I could break them with my hands.  Then they run up and down the tree trunk, chasing each other, getting their morning exercise and finding the food they need.  They seem to have such fun with one another.

Mr. & Mrs. Cardinal fly in, landing in the tree outside of my window.  The bright red coat of Mr. stands vivid against the white snow background; Mrs. Is a bit more subdued and blends in, a bit more shy and demure.  It’s a mystery to me where they stay at night and how they survive these very cold days and nights.

There is a build in means of survival that exists in all living creatures; all of creation actually; a means of continuing on, whatever the elements may be.

God breathed life into all He made and desired all forms and species to live in the cycle of life, death, life, and to continue reproducing its self forever.

God created such a beautiful harmony, pattern, and plan.  It serves me well to honor His way, His truth, and His life.

BETWEEN BEGINNING AND END

Here I sit in between the beginning and the end

The full moon in front of me

The rising sun in back of me.

I remember standing on the beach

Watching and hearing the roaring waves

With the full moon in back of me

And the rising sun in front of me.

My senses were at the high end of intensity

I was never so alive and totally immersed

In nature’s power and glory as that day.

THE MOON AND STARS REMIND ME OF HOME

There is something comforting about looking up into the predawn sky and seeing the moon and stars, there as always, adding sparks of light to the darkness.  It speaks to me of the quiet faithfulness of God; always there, quietly revealing Himself to everyone, but only seen by those who take the time to look.  He consistently tells His children to “remember, don’t forget all I have done for you”, from then, until now, and forever.

His children did not remember, and forgot, over and over again.  But He stayed true and continued to reveal Himself time after time, after time, after time, from then, until now, and forever.

It is suffering and sadness that brings me back to that comfort place that only God provides.  He is my home base that this world has never provided for me.  The older I get the more of a homebody I become; not only physically but spiritually as well.  I have no desire to be wandering around, far from His Presence anymore.  I have had my days of adventure, of going around exploring this and that.  I found many pleasant places to be; for awhile.  But they were only places I liked to visit; there were not home to me.  Over the years I explore less; the sense of adventure of this new place or that new idea has waned.  I enjoy be home and simply being in His Presence, listening to His voice.  My heart and soul are cloistered in His love and that is all I need or want.

In those times when I am feeling sad or homesick I need only to look up into the predawn sky and find the true and faithful Light that shines bright for me to see.  Then I remember what for a moment I have forgotten; this world isn’t my home. 

MASTER ARTIST

Every morning since the beginning of time the sun rises in a beautiful display of colors.  Every evening since the beginning of time the sun sets in a beautiful display of color.  Every summer since the beginning of time the earth is filled with the full blossoming of flowers, fruits, and vegetables in a beautiful display of color.  Every autumn since the beginning of time the trees shine and shed their leaves in a beautiful display of color.

The created world is a beautiful and stunning place to live; mountains, oceans, deserts, huge skies; God is an awesome God, a Creator of life filled with beauty.  If I stop, look, and listen I will never feel alone or slighted in any way.  The superficial things of earth that I often think are so important grow strangely dim in the pure light of His creation. 

I can add nothing.  I can subtract nothing. I can only BE in awe of the Master Artist and delight in His handiwork.

GOD IS THE ARTIST & ARCHITECT

Psalm 73:25

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; and God saw everything that He had made, and declared it was very good.  The heavens, the skies above proclaim God’s handiwork.  God is truly a supreme artist and architect.  He laid the foundations, determined the measurements, stretched the line upon it, and laid its cornerstone.  He clothed it, prescribed limits for it and set the bars and doors.  The law of the Lord is perfect.

Nature functions according to plan.  If it didn’t there would be no life.  All living things are dependent upon the earth running according to plan; for all the air that we breathe, the water that we drink, and the food that we eat.  All of these give life and produce growth; all are created and maintained by God.  That is why Jesus tells us not to be anxious but rather to seek first the kingdom of God; the God that provides all things for all creation.

When I am out in nature I am connected and communing with the law of God that is perfect.  It puts me right, aligned to the plumb line.  It revives my soul, makes me simple, rejoices my heart, makes me pure, enlightens my eyes, and reveals truth and righteousness to me.  What else could I need or desire?

God speaks forth His revelation.  His voice is silent yet it is powerful, full of majesty, and poured out to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see, every minute of every day and every night.  His handiwork is stunning; it is exquisite; it is unable to be duplicated by any human hands.  He reveals all of Himself plainly to all; His eternal power and His divine nature are clearly perceived to those who have ears to hear and eyes to see.

“Whom have I in heaven but You,

And there is nothing on earth that I desire

Besides You.”

WE WOULD DO WELL TO LISTEN TO TREES

God’s Word is a living Word; it has transformational power.  It changes me.

The eternal power and divine nature is all around me in the things His hands have made.  Watch them and learn.  Listen to their teachings.  

The tree outside my window grows the same, be it in the prehistoric, ancient, modern, or post modern age.  If it could talk perhaps it would echo the words Jesus spoke to Peter when he looked around at the others on the beach, saying, “What about this man?”  Jesus answered, “What is that to you? You follow me.”  (John 21)

Or perhaps the tree would echo God’s words, also to Peter, when Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah, and Peter ran around planning things on his own; “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (Matthew 17)

Trees don’t listen to any other voices but God’s and they silently and faithfully yield their fruit in season, and their leaves do not wither.

We would do well to listen and learn from the trees.

Nothing Is Something

They say we are our ancestors

And I believe that’s true

Often times I catch myself

Doing what they would do.

My ancestors were Puritans

With a work ethic tried and true

No time for sloth or laziness

We’re on this earth to DO.

My soul is more contemplative

The busy life’s not for me

I find myself more at peace

When I can simply BE.

I’ve developed a great solution

I’ll combine the DO and the BE

I’ll rest on the bank of a flowing creek

But take my fishing pole with me.

Then my conscience will be at rest

And critical tongues of those who look

For I, a doer will cast my line

But on the end will be no hook.

SEED & SEA

I feel inspired by trees.  They simply are what they are; true to the seed they grew from.  They stand there year after year, quietly living through their seasons of growth; buds, blossoms, and leaves that in the spring are bright green and in autumn turn red, orange, and yellow.  Then they die and fall to the ground, feeding the tree in the barren season and seeding new growth for the next season; quietly and unpretentiously the cycle repeats itself year after year.  They don’t try to impress others or even improve themselves.  They simple are what they are and do what they were created to do.  That inspires me to BE and DO the same.

The ocean is similar.  It simply is what it is.  It’s pretty much the same everyday; the waves roll in, the waves roll out.  On windy and stormy days the waves are higher and faster, but they maintain the same rhythm; roll in, roll out.  The more I watch, the more I adopt its rhythm; in my breathing; in my soul.  I become memorized and soon reach the sense of a deep contemplation and centeredness. I become one with the sea and I am at peace.

For many years I tried to be someone, or do something.  I had this image of who I was supposed to be and what I was suppose to do.  This image was internally imposed by me and externally imposed by the expectations of others.  I failed many times at both.

Now what matters most to me is that I am true to the seed that God planted and desired me to grow into.  I have stopped trying and simply am who I am.

THE MYSTERY & MAGIC OF TREES & OCEANS

The two things in nature that speak to me most are old seasoned trees and the ocean.  There is something mysterious and magical about them that has resonated in my soul since I was a child.  I spent a lot of my life playing in the woods and reading stories about elves and fairies that inhabited ancient forests.   I enjoyed reading about the pioneers and Indians who lived in the woods when America was new and being explored.

I a lot spent a lot of my life near the ocean.  I would spend my time on the beach building sand castles, climbing the rocks, and just sitting and watching this immense body of water, looking out at the horizon, wondering what was on the other side.  I loved reading stories about fishermen and whalers who made their livelihood living on boats and catching fish.

I feel a sense of wholeness, of being at home with myself when I walk in the woods or sit and watch the waves on the ocean.  They both feed my soul as nothing else does.

CONSIDER THE SQUIRRELS

The bareness of the winter trees allows me to closely watch the squirrels that have become my morning companions.  Their homes are plentiful in the tall trees, intricately built to withstand they elements they are exposed to on a daily basis; wind, rain, snow, cold.  Every morning I watch these creatures perform death defying acts on the tallest tree limbs as they scurry up and down them, performing their morning routine.  Everyday is pretty much the same for them; clean themselves on a branch, gather food, run around campus for awhile, sit in the sun and rest.  I find myself wondering what they think about; what their take on life is.  I have enjoyed companionship with several squirrels throughout the years.  They know me and I knew them; a few so well that they would actually knock on my window if I was tardy in feeding them, and one even would eat out of my hand.

 At times I am envious of these creatures.  They know how to do life simple and well.  They have shelter and food, and seem to be content with that.  It makes them a lot freer than me.  I have stuff; lots of stuff.  I love my stuff but it ties me down.  I have worked at not accumulating more, but I find it difficult to de-accumulate what I have.  I don’t generally reread books but for some unknown reason I find comfort in keeping them around me on bookshelves.  The same with my writing; when I try and go through boxes of papers written years ago, it ends up returning to the keep box, leaving the discard box empty.

If I had a permanent house with an attic, that is where all this stuff would be, waiting for someone to come, after my death, and throw it all out.  Putting that in writing makes it seem even more ridiculous to safe all this stuff; moving it around as I try and find a place to settle down for me and my stuff.  They seem like children that never grew up and still remain living at home; burdens, but lovely burdens I can’t throw out.

All these books and papers are good stuff.  The world is full of good stuff.  The study of theology and religion has filled libraries with books and seminaries with students; there are even more books, seminars, programs, and material telling me how to live and plan my life well.  I could accumulate all this knowledge and wisdom until the cows come home.  Or I could watch the squirrels; consider the birds of the air and the lilies of the field. 

ROOTS OF STABILITY & SUSTAINABILITY

It’s the inner disciplines that I am attracted to in all faiths.  It’s the monks I look to as teachers, those intentionally immersed in the life of their faith.

It’s the inner peace that manifests itself in outward strength, integrity, humility, and nobility.  It seems that once that inner self is at rest, the outer circumstances of life can come and go and leave no trace on the soul; it’s that monastic heart; the place of being asleep in the boat during the storm.  (Matthew 8:23-27)

Old trees present that sense of stability and sustainability.  They have weathered the storms, withstood the droughts, and continued to grow strong and sturdy circumstance after circumstance, season after season.  Externally they are scarred and weathered by the elements; internally they are well rooted, grounded, and nourished by the elements.  They stand tall in grace and glory and speak rest to my soul. 

The peace that passes all understanding comes from being rooted and grounded in the inn dwelling of the Holy Spirit in my heart, mind, and soul; communion and connection with God the Father and Jesus,  His Son, the One who abides in me and makes his home with me. (John 14: 23; 15:1-8)  It has put a silence in my inner being and it is out of that place, that silence that I want to live, speak, and do all that I do.

It’s the inner disciplines that feed and nourish me; for those I look to the monks of the ancient faiths, and the seasoned trees of the ancient forests as my teachers.  (Isaiah 58:11, 12; 61:4)

Louis Agassiz

"I spent the summer traveling.  I got halfway across my backyard."

"Study nature, not books."

The study of Nature is intercourse with the Highest Mind.  You should never trifle with Nature."