What is your relationship with nature?  There is an awe and majesty in nature that can instantly catapult us inward and upward.  Becoming “one” with nature can help us become “one” with God.

Energized by focusing on living things

Plants and animals can be physically and spiritually energizing to us.  In Moses 3:9, it states, “And out of the ground made I, the Lord God, to grow every tree, naturally,…and it became also a living soul..”  Anything “living” can enliven us with its spiritual resonance, if we learn how to tune in.

Have you ever spent time focusing on a tree?    As we CONCENTRATE on the many facets of a tree, we can get so absorbed in the beauty and energy of it that for those moments, time seems to stand still, and we stop thinking about our past or future. We begin to feel a one-ness instead with the tree and its creator.

Gaze at the light and shadow on the leaves.  How many colors and textures can you discern on the bark?  Many times, I have caught myself weeping with joy as I let go of my troubles and focused on a beautiful tree.

Martin Luther purportedly stated,  “God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”  I tend to agree with him.  It is a “gospel” of peace and healing.

Use Your Senses

FEEL and LISTEN to the crunch of snow, the crackling of leaves. MARVEL in awe at the brilliance of a sunset or a thunderstorm, and let it “take your breath away.”  MINDFULLY OBSERVE a bird as he is building his nest or feeding his young and listen to his song.  SMELL the damp earth after a rain, etc.  As you experience these things, you can begin to feel the awakening of a deeper consciousness; a stillness that transports you into the presence of God.  Cherish the sacredness of these moments

Energizing Experience

Many years ago, during a period when I was not feeling well.  I remember going outside in the warmth of a late spring afternoon.  I sat down on a step in my backyard. I noticed a bright yellow flower near where I was sitting.  I was drawn to it and began to focus on it.  I touched the petals, and felt the velvet texture.  I observed the nuance of color on the petals and stem.   I became aware of it’s center, and the stamen and pollen that were there.   I remember being totally swallowed up in its intricacies.    After several minutes of being totally “one” with this flower, I noticed that I no longer felt weak and tired.  I had been enlivened by “a living soul,” and felt rejuvenated and energized.

How To Feel an Invigorating One-ness with Nature and God

  1. Go outside. Find a tree, flower, cloud, plant, mountain etc.  Intently concentrate on its attributes.  FOCUS on the color, texture, play of light and shadow, size, etc. Get “lost” in it.
  1. As you focus on it, let all your thoughts go. Don’t analyze it. Just observe it without thinking, like a baby who alertly observes the world without language.  This process can alleviate negative emotion, because your worries leave as you focus on beauty.  In this state of intense presence, you can feel the spirit, – unencumbered from the normal thought process.
  1. FEEL Grateful to the Lord for the beauty of nature. Gratitude is one of the highest levels of living we can experience.  Bask in it.  Feel the aliveness of God’s majestic creations.

Interacting with and concentrating on God’s creations brings us delight and healing as we are transported to the throne of God.  It is impossible to feel negativity when we are enthralled and captivated by the beauty that God created.  Can you feel it?