Lessons from nature....

“This is one of the great lessons nature has for us: There is a way things work. You cannot simply walk through this world any old way you want. Turn a canoe sideways and it will tip. Approach an elk upwind and it will spook. Run your hand along the grain of wood and you’ll get a splinter. There is a way things work. Oh, what a crucial lesson this is. In the realm of nature, you can’t just order room service, or change the channel, or write a new program to solve your problems. You can’t ignore the way things work. You must be taught by it. Humility and wisdom come to a man when he learns those ways, and learns to live his life accordingly.

Yes—there are things to learn through nature, lessons that simply cannot be learned anywhere else. It might be out on the open sea. It might take place bicycling through farmlands. C. S. Lewis was not an outdoorsman. He spent his days with books, in the academies of England. But I find it important that he felt his day was never complete without a walk outside. Not a fifty-mile backpacking trip. A walk in the woods. Time spent in the field. It’s worth a try, and I’ll guarantee God will meet you there, if you’ll let him.” - The Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge

This quote was my online devotional today (I subscribe through www.ransomedheart.com) and it made me long for a walk in the country....

Throughout my life, God has often chosen to speak to me and teach me lessons through nature and I just love it. I anticipate them when I find myself alone with Him, and eagerly look for what He'll show me each time... Even though I live in the city, the outdoors is still there - in my backyard, in a park, in the river valley. I just need to make the time for Him - alone time - when He can show me more of His incredible creativity and teach me how it applies to my life...