Even though I grew up in the city, I was attracted to the sights and sounds of nature. In the first house we lived in, there was a large tree in the front yard that my brother taught me to climb. In the summer, it was the perfect place to hide. The branches were strong enough to lie back on and the leaves thick enough to conceal me from all eyes. It was a glorious place where I was made to feel embraced and safe by simply resting in a tree. 

Surrounded

If I were to say who nudged me toward being amazed by nature, I’d have to say it was my dad. He loved to drive out into the country and watch a sunset or sit on the front porch swing during a good thunderstorm. 

Many times while sitting on his lap on the front porch swing a summer thunderstorm would roll in. The air would suddenly chill and I’d hear the distant rumbling of thunder. But instead of running inside, Dad would simply hold me closer to himself. Then together, we’d watch the lighting, and count the seconds between the flash and the boom. The closer the storm came, the more I’d feel those booms reverberating on my insides. Then came the  surrounding sound of rain pelting the porch roof and sidewalk. 

Just as quickly as the storm rolled in, it would roll out to the next part of the state. When the storm ended, Dad and I would smile at each other knowing that we’d just experienced the wonder of another Nebraska thunderstorm. 

Why is nature such a thrill to experience? Perhaps because it is unlike anything we ourselves could make. The soft blades of green grass under our feet, the brightness of a yellow tulip in the spring, the shapes and sizes of clouds, the constellations formed by stars, the warmth of the sun or the brightness of a full moon. 

Whether rural, country or city dwellers we all experience the immensity of the sky when we look up. Others get a view of tall mountains, expansive lakes and fields of grain. 

Then there is the life of every creature great and small; snails, beetles, deer, raccoon, eagles and fish. Somehow they’ve managed to adapt themselves to living in and among all of humanity. Though nature was here first, it lives compatible with  mankind. 

If we let it, nature will draw us aside from our busyness and teach us to be attentive to its simple beauty. If we let it, nature will show us how we can just be who we are without straining so show off our accomplishments. If we let it, nature might even lead us to hearing the voice of God.

Why bother to be amazed by creation? Nature was created for our pleasure so that we might be amazed and consider the One who created every living thing in the first place.