“Where should we go this time?” My husband and I are incredibly grateful for the many, many wonderful hiking trails within a few miles of where we live. Hiking is a great mental and emotional getaway for me. It’s even more comforting than a walk around the neighborhood, which is saying a lot because we also enjoy doing that.
I find God’s peace on these trails, flooded with the miracles of God’s creation. There’s something magically distracting about following an unpaved path, crossing over streams, using roots and rocks for steps, marveling at the rock formations, and admiring the wide variety of trees, flowers, and other plants we encounter.
The photo above is one I took at Punderson State Park a couple weeks ago. The leaves had just started turning. The water reflecting the gorgeous blue sky and the leaves displaying their previously hidden oranges and yellows made it easy for me to see God’s love expressed to us through His magnificent creation.
There are countless other ways besides hiking to let nature remind us of God’s goodness. I encourage you to get out and savor the beauty of His creation!
Remember being a kid and the happy swooshing sound you made as you pushed your feet through the leaves on the sidewalk? Walk around your yard or down the street and experience that again. Let your heart lighten up as you look for a treasured red heart-shaped leaf. Fill a vase or glass bowl with colorful foliage for a pretty countertop decoration. Frantically throw leaves at each other until you giggle yourselves silly, as one of my daughters and I did. (The expression of wonder on my little granddaughter’s face was priceless.)
Let the inner beauty of the love in your heart shine through its hardened outer shell, like the reds and yellows of the leaves that emerge triumphant in autumn over the greens. If you don’t have access to a trail, take a walk around your neighborhood or a park. If you can’t walk, take a drive. Or sit outside. And if you can’t do that, then sit by a window and gaze at all the gorgeous colors the Lord has on display for us this fall.
Let the beauty of creation shout to you and reassure you that life is good, because God is good – all the time.
“I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”
– Psalm 27:13
“Lord, let us see and appreciate with fresh eyes Your love expressed to us through the universe You’ve created for us to enjoy.”
Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell Comments are always welcome!
Please share this with your friends by clicking on one of the icons below. Blogspot doesn’t have a ‘subscribe’ feature and so I appreciate your help in sharing my reflections. Thanks!
If you or someone you know would like to receive these writings directly, please email me at ginabedell1@gmail.com and I will add you to my ‘BCC’ email list.
You can also find my posts on Facebook!
P.S.
Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate to a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.
