For a few days, I had no idea what to write on next, and it really started to bother me. I asked my friends for advice, and they exploded with topics! The Lord certainly surrounded me with the right people for this season of life(and I’m hoping all the seasons)! PSL encouraged me to publish how I cope with struggles, and I fell in love with that thought. This is going to be a topic touched through several posts, but to go with the fall season, I’m going to express one of my favorite ways of coping with difficulties life throws.
NATURE.
I am a bit of a nature-freak, especially in the summer and fall… and winter and spring… I just love nature, okay? God does beautiful things with His masterpiece we occupy that indubitably leave me speechless. My phone is the home to countless pictures of the sky, flowers, and mountains. When I lived at home and had access to my truck, a drive through the mountains nearby became very routine. If anyone finds something more relaxing than sitting in the middle of nature listening to what God has to say, please let me know, but until then, this is my favorite thing.
“For since the creation of the world Godʼs invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Romans 1:20
Throughout the Bible, many verses proclaim the earth as God’s, His masterpiece. We live in a work of art. I never loved an image as much as I love than that. Since we inhabit a work of art, we are, therefore, works of art. The Lord made each one of us intentionally, just like He moves the clouds and dictates the paths of lightning blots.
That’s big picture, but looking at God’s creation on a smaller scale can magnify His brilliance tenfold. One night, I was getting home from my day around 12 or 12:30 at night. I don’t remember why exactly, but I remember feeling beaten down, begging God to show me He hadn’t deserted me. As I walked up the driveway, it was dark and cold, starting to feel damp from the dew setting in. I was on the verge of breaking down before making it to the door, when a cluster of ordinary flowers appeared illuminated. I kept walking, thinking nothing of it at first but as I reached for the door it hit me, those flowers shouldn’t be in a beam of light. There was no logical cause of the brightness of these flowers. I about jumped back to those flowers and stood there trying to understand. The longer I stared, the more I felt God fill me and remind me, “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.”(Hebrews 13:5)
Have you ever not been able to think of what you did 5 minutes ago? Or just straight up forgot an elementary word you should remember without a doubt? And then someone reminds you of the word, or what you did, and you feel dumb because it was right there the whole time.. that’s how I felt in this moment.
Why did I doubt God? Of course He never left. People around me had been telling me just that. But it took seeing His brilliance, and being struck by the awe of His creation for it to sink in.
Psalm 96:11-12 explains what I experienced beautifully, the flowers were singing God’s praise, proclaiming His glory, announcing His unending love! All of nature shouts God’s praise! This is why I cling so tightly to nature when I am walking through a dense spot in life. When I cannot gather the strength to hold onto the promises of Christ, the nature surrounding me bursts with joy for the Creator is good! It reminds me of His goodness in every season. Through every season, Christ is able to portray His beauty, therefore in every season of my life He can do the same.
I took my friends on a trail called Maryland Heights over fall break, a trail I have hiked several times, and without fail, every time I have reached the top of the mountain, many people sit on the rocks, but there is a silence. A powerful silence. Everyone was in awe of the view, of what our great God has done. Whether they acknowledge where it came from or not, I don’t know. But being among others absorbing the art of our Creator, let alone just His creations, is an amazing experience
Nature is constantly changing, and so are we. If the Lord our God can provide for the world He created, He can nurture us. With that, if the trees can sing for joy in the midst of the ceaseless change, I can praise God through anything I’m walking through.
I hope you find several ways to cope with difficulties where the Lord can speak to you personally. I hope at least one of those way includes a peaceful place and is as beaming with Christ everywhere you look, luckily we live in a place just like that. 🙂
Until my next post, Look Up and Keep Going!
#JesusIsTheCoolest
~solacingresilience~
solacingresilience 