seasons and the glory of nature

i can’t help my affections for nature as it is God’s own stamp of workmanship and mastery … the testimony of His care and attention to detail. the complexity and interdependence of nature and eco-systems reminds me of His ability to work all things together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. when i walk in the woodlands i hear His contented sighs of delight and approval floating on the winds and i see the twinkle of enjoyment in His eye as it bounces off the leaves. as i spend time enjoying the beauty of nature i see more of His nature, His character, His heart and His mind … nature cries aloud and testifies to His glory!

i cannot see breath-taking, fiery colors of Fall without feeling the sweet breath of His whispers on my face, telling me the secrets of His architecture and design and His tender, sweet words of love for me …

then there’s the quiet, calming falling of snow on the frozen earth, mesmerizing me into a cocoon of peace and rest … hibernating in His affections, snuggling into His tenderness, keeping warm together in the passions of His love …

the slow, sure rising of the sun … His invitation to me to walk with Him another day … a tender Lover promising me His companionship and friendship, extending His hands to me as He promises His surety and constancy …

the eager freshness of spring … bubbly laughter of melting creeks, a sleepy earth stretching and awakening to a new season … hints of warm whispers on the breeze, murmurs of new life on the move … melting snow turning from drips to torrential rivers, washing out the old and ushering in the new … rumors whispered through the treetops of fresh beginnings and new seasons… opportunity to live again and learn lessons of growth, entering new stages of understanding and revelation … a watering and nourishing of the soul for the works He is equipping me to do …

the heat and intensity of summer … vibrant colors … what once was dead is now alive, thriving in the nourishment of the dirt, once frozen as earthen stone … a season of discipline and growth under the intense and watchful eye of the sun … a season of hard work before the rest of winter and the peaceful slumber it brings …

and a new cycle begins … similar to ones before but waiting to tell its own story. each season bringing new tales waiting to be told, of doubt and faithfulness, pain and ecstasy, death and life. one life dying so another, better one may take its place.

nature. the truth of God’s character as told through the most unsuspecting storytellers -- flowers and leaves, dirt and rocks, waterfalls and creeks, mountains and mole hills, shooting stars and lightning, rain and snow, sun and moon and you and me.

i can’t help my affections for nature …