A few days ago I listened as someone read an excerpt of a book to me; the book, Sex God by Rob Bell. And let me just tell you that the book, or at least what I know about it, doesn’t really talk about sex that much. It talks a lot more about the spirituality of sex and how that plays in our lives. But tonight I want to focus on a particular chapter, the one that I listened to, as I drove. On a quick side note, I am starting to really enjoy reading, and more so, listening as someone tells me the story. I recently read The Wedding, by Nicholas Sparks, in audio-book. It was very peaceful to listen as someone calmly tells you a story, a truly moving story. But we can talk more on that book some other day!
The focus of tonight is nature, and in particular how disconnected we have become with nature, with the earth we live in, with everything living around us. One part of the excerpt that I vividly remember is when the author talks about how a commercial, and a brand for that matter, promise to get you closer to nature, simply by owning their car; I’m sure you know exactly what I am talking about by the way, I know I did! But let’s think about that for a second, is that really possible? Can something, a material thing really get you closer to nature? I highly doubt it. We have gotten so comfortable in our air conditioned houses in the summer, and heated in the winter, that we rarely spend time outside, in nature, and with nature. Stop for a minute and look around you. I’d like to think of flowers as God’s way of smiling at us, as the earth showing us its love and happiness. Think about the rain; we all dislike, if you will; it makes driving harder, we have to get the umbrella out, etc... But if you really look at it closer, rain makes the world smile, after the rain follows a rainbow, and it is with that rain that the flowers bloom and crops grow; people can eat. How can we ever think negatively of the rain? The rain is almost the world’s fuel. It is God’s way of reminding us that sometimes we must sacrifice for something better afterwards. But then again, we live in a society that is in such disconnect with nature, and with God at times, that I don’t really expect most to understand what I am saying. We get so caught up in our routines, our smart-phones and ourselves in all honesty, that we don’t look around anymore, and enjoy all that God created for us.
Think about nature and think about all the great natural wonders. I could be here forever naming these, but of the top of my head, the magnitude of the Grand Canyon, the beautiful fauna of the Amazon, the coral reefs in Australia. I have bowed this year to become more connected to nature. Go hiking, camping, spend time outside, eat outside in the summer, cook outside, plant my vegetables, and watch them grow. I want to understand nature better and pay tribute to what I know is God’s greatest creation. He created all of nature for us; he made sure all was there before he created men, and women. And I feel as if sometimes we don’t fully appreciate it. Take joy from watching flowers bloom or from understanding how a bee makes honey. Seek to comprehend how nature works and how amazing the world around us really is. We don’t really quite know how complex the world we live in really is, but sometimes we hear things, learn facts, that open our eyes. Do you know how a Jelly fish reproduces? I sure didn’t and it is quite amazing! Look it up, I’m sure you’ll be just as amazed as I was.
Open yourself up and let nature be your teacher; spend more time outside, learning about what it is that surrounds us and you will be amazed with what you will find. But always make sure you bring your sunshine wherever you go, bring your happiness with you, as the world is always smiling at us; smile back at it, I know I will. And just as well, be open to what the world gives you, if it rains, understand what it does for you, think of it as refreshing and just, well, get wet. Always remember, there are always flowers for those who want to see them, and as long as you keep looking up to the sun, you will never see a shadow. Oh, and by the way, the picture, the cherry blossoms at night at Kyoto’s Hirano Shrine. I don’t think I need to say anything else…
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