Tuning in to the Great Outdoors

God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. Martin Luther

As one who photographs the landscape, I heartily agree with that sentiment. One of the loveliest places to find God is in the natural world He created for us. He can be seen in a waterfall...in the extraordinary autumn foliage...in the leaves rustling in the breeze...in fanciful cloud formations...in the delicate blooms of flowering crabapple trees or rhododendron during the height of their springtime displays...in the hues of a spectacular sunrise.

Of course, it doesn't require travel to an exotic destination in order to look deeply into nature. You can see some pretty amazing things in your own backyard, in the park at the center of town, or even in the middle of the city as you look upward to the sky or at the trees.

It's an interesting irony that the more we become connected to technology and gadgets, the more our ability to connect with the planet around us begins to slip away.

Don't get me wrong, I'm no technophobe! But I also believe it's important to be able to walk away from the computer, the BlackBerry, and the television - and appreciate nature. Within it there exists the power to rejuvenate and re-energize our spirits. It can be a source of inspiration, revitalization, and balm for the weary soul.

The natural world is a featured element in many of our product designs at The Christian Gift precisely because He seems to communicate so clearly through His magnificent creation!

During the middle of the cold, dark days of winter, I admit it can sometimes be challenging to get outside and take in what nature has to offer. But now that the glorious, long days of summer are upon us, it's pretty easy to enjoy the dynamic show going on around us each and every day.

Where are your favorite places to see and listen to God in nature? I've begun asking friends that question, and have received a wide variety of answers. ...in my garden ...hiking in the mountains ...walking along the seashore at dusk ...watching the sun come up ...driving along the southern stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway ...any time I go camping What about you?  

In the words of George Washington Carver, "I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station, through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in."

I hope you're taking advantage of every opportunity to "tune in" to that frequency regularly.