Outside of our window there is a massive tree. Each day in the fall we have watched the leaves change color, an orange red hue starting at the top until now where the whole tree is colored in this new hue. I love seeing this because I am watching nature at work, the leaves are preparing to fall, while the winter will have it completely bare, only to spring new leaves again. I look at that tree and see the intentionality in all of creation that God had a hand in.
When we look at the world around us, we see some amazing things. You can look at the mountains and the oceans, admire the vastness of them, or you can look at the small details like a tree outside of your window. I love this fall season because the colors of nature are so much more apparent as we look outside. November for me is a great time to reflect on all that I have been blessed with, and nature reminds me that I have an intentional God.
Last week, we looked inward. Seeing the unique design that God has created you to be, and this week we are looking outward. Nature is absolutely incredible, it’s a testament to God’s creativity and how perfect this place was designed for each of us. Whenever people talk about when they feel closest to God, one of the biggest answers I have heard is people saying they feel more connected to God in nature than anywhere else. Why is this the case? I think the biggest reason is that in nature, we see the beauty of creation that God created, and with that mindset, we are comforted by that intention.
The world around us shows God’s love for us.
Romans 1: 20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s 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.”
I love going for walks in my day, because I get to breathe in the air and look at the changing of life all around me. What I love about this verse is how it captures why for many of us, being in nature helps us feel connected to the Spirit. The invisible qualities of God that are in creation seem to be a loud voice as we exist in it. Everything in nature is in perfect order, because God has created it all with purpose.
I love when Danielle and I can take time to go to the mountains in North Carolina. The lack of phone service and the feeling of escaping the busy rhythm of our lives, forces us to be present in creation and meditate on what God has done and what He is continuing to do. It’s something that I cherish and something that I believe we all need to make time in our lives for.
Be present in the world around you.
Life is always moving and the stress can cause us to just make it through this week, but living this way causes us to forget about the life God has created for us. We need to learn how to be present in the world. God has given us a great gift here on earth, His creation is a love letter to His most precious creation, you. He created you uniquely and with purpose, and He also created the world around you as a gift for you to enjoy and be still in.
When we are present in nature, we are able to look at the invisible qualities of God as we rest in the visible beauty of creation.
As we continue with our journal prompts in this season of Thanksgiving, todays prompt is simply to reflect on the creation around you. Thanking God for the world around us, seeing the nature and the perfect order of things. Maybe you will make a list of what you are thankful for in creation. Maybe it’s a moment spent walking in your neighborhood and thanking God for what you normally pass by. Maybe you have a tree outside your window like I do and want to thank God for something so simple yet so complex at the same time. Take time this week to journal about the creation you experience in your life, and go take a walk where you can meditate on the nature you see all around you.
Write it down and thank God for the world around you. It is a gift from God and a place where you can experience those invisible qualities from your loving creator. Write about it, sketch something, tape a leaf in your journal as a reminder; just simply take time to thank your creator for creating an incredible world around you.
I will see you here next week for another journal prompt, but until then, enjoy some time in this incredible world that God has created.
-Joshua Thomas
About the Author: Joshua Thomas is a writer by day and superhero by night. When he’s not writing and crimefighting, you can find him reading a good book, sipping warm tea, taking pictures, or dreaming. The young writer doesn’t fully know what he’s doing, but is enjoying the journey of it all. You can follow his hipster photos and Jack Kerouac musings on Instagram @joshua_thomas__
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