Finding Him in Nature

On my first day at a new job, I was getting over being sick, having trouble sleeping, and still adjusting to being back at home for the summer. With my backpack and dress I’ve had since middle school, I knew I looked more like a student than a worker as I stood on Septa with all the other the commuters. As I got back above ground and made my way to the office, I paused. I was 30 minutes early (I was still figuring out the timing of my commute), so I had the time, and it was the type of weather that you wish could be every day. Sunny, but not blinding, warm, but with a gentle breeze, and with all the rain of the past week, all the trees and the grass were a vibrant green. I found a bench in the shade and took a few minutes to just sit there and enjoy the beauty of it all before I started my day. As I sat, I couldn’t help but feel so content, grateful, and joyful. When it was time for me to be back on my merry way, I got up knowing I was ready to take on the day.

Throughout my life, whenever I was happiest and whenever I was saddest, I would retreat into nature. It started off when I was a young girl. My mom and I would be waiting in the school parking lot with all the other moms and kids for my older sister to come out, and I would inevitably retreat to play in some bushes. As I got older, it turned into wanting to spend every nice evening outside, throwing a ball to the roof of my garage and then running to catch it as it rolled down. And as I got even older, it turned into going for walks to either enjoy the beautiful day, or to clear my head and escape from whatever was bothering me. Although I was not consciously aware of it at the time, God was with me for all of those moments. When you go out into nature, God is offering a chance to put aside your burdens and rest. It’s a time where you can let the wind carry your anxieties up to God, have the rain cleanse you of your anger and fear, or have the sun warm a jealous heart.

Every day we all get to witness these miracles and the presence of God, and yet we don’t always appreciate them. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Look at the beauty all around you, or out or window. How could this not be created by a Divine Power? The beauty of nature reflects the beauty of God. Human life could have survived with less. We could have had a functional, if drab planet. Instead, God gifted us with this magnificent, beautiful world. And He did that not only because He loves us, but because nature draws us closer to Him. For those who will not close their eyes or harden their hearts, creation is the finger­prints of God. Just as you can always see something of the artist in his or her creative works, so you can see something of God in His creation. We are being drawn closer to God when we hear the crunching of fallen leaves under our feet in autumn, when we feel the fresh coolness of a forest stream, when we hear the crack of thunder, when we smell the salt in the sea, and when we gaze upon the sun’s rays streaming out from behind a skyscraper. And if this is how astonishing the Earth’s landscape and blessings are, imagine how utterly perfect the Maker is.

From examples in the Bible, we can see that spending time in solitude with Creation and the Creator is beneficial for our souls. God would come to prophets while they were alone in nature. One such example is Moses, who God first appeared to in the wilderness as a burning bush, and later gifted his laws to on Mt. Sinai. Another is Elijah who “…went into a cave and spent the night. And the word of the LORD came to him… a gentle whisper” (1 Kings 19:9, 12). In the New Testament, Jesus himself can often be found retreating into Nature. One such example is in Luke 6:12-13: “Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God. When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them.” We can also read in the New Testament that Paul withdrew into nature and spent 3 years in the Arabian desert before he began evangelizing, and John, while exiled in the Patmos Island, wrote Revelations. So when we spend time with God and Nature, we are in good company. As shown by these examples, God wants to speak to us while we are in nature. We are better able to listen because Creation is a place to be with the Creator.

We are told to “Be Still and Know I am God,” but how often in modern society are we ever in still solitude? It’s hard to break away from technology and other worldly concerns and instead prioritize time for quiet reflection and prayer. I know myself when I was writing this, I checked Facebook at least 5 times. There was no reason to do so, I just felt like I needed too. How often do we find ourselves with the itch to check our phone when we are hanging out with friends and family? How often do we find ourselves more concerned with getting a picture or a video instead of just being fully present and enjoying the moment? How often at mass will our minds drift off, and instead of thinking of God’s Word and His Presence in the Eucharist, will we think about the tasks we should do afterwards? Those are some uncomfortable truths that we need to be aware of and try to address, no matter how hard it can be. That is why it is so imperative that we go into to nature to be alone with God. In nature, you are free from competing loyalties and can take the time to deepen your relationship with God. And it doesn’t have to be anything fancy. Sometimes I’ll just walk and talk with God, other times I will just sit down somewhere and say thank you and then sit in silence. I won’t be thinking about anything really, I am just taking the time to fully open my heart to God and be thankful for all He is and does.

We have been given such a gift by God in the beauty of nature. What better proof is there that God loves us, and I hope that we all will appreciate it, and realize how powerful nature can be in bringing us contentment and joy. Anne Frank perhaps said it best when she wrote, “The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be, and that God wishes to see people happy, amidst the simple beauty of nature. As longs as this exists, and it certainly always will, I know that then there will always be comfort for every sorrow, whatever the circumstances may be. And I firmly believe that nature brings solace in all troubles.” So this summer, I implore you to spend some time outside and appreciate the beauty all around you. I promise you that you will be happier because of it.