I love being outside, but I don't like the bugs. I love being in the sun, but I wear spf 100 to keep from getting burned. I love swimming, but mostly in a pool. I love reading outside, but only if I have a blanket otherwise the grass makes me itchy and I get too many bugs on me.
One of my favorite things is taking a long, solitary walk through the trails at Jayboo. I simply love it there. The path is nice and paved and there are many ways to get down to the creek to find a quite spot to pray or journal. The beauty of the trees, the babble of the brook, and the way the sun shines through the leafy canopy onto the path is just breath-taking.
I feel closer to God when I am out in nature. I find it easier to focus on Him when I am at one of my many hidden spots down by the creek (even when I get momentarily distracted by a serpent winding its way through the water).
Needless to say, one of my primary means of worship is nature. My other two methods of worship often come out when I am in nature. If I am walking and worshiping I sing songs of praise, or love songs I've imagined a more Jesus/me meaning to ~ thus another act of worship for me is music. I also imagine Jesus is beside me, holding my hand, playing with my hair, carrying me in His arms ~ this is known as the "holding hands with Jesus" means of worship. I use visualization to imagine Him with me. This makes Him more real and present in my life as well as brings me great comfort when I feel alone (which happens in a crowded room sometimes).
It's funny, but I can't talk about what I love about nature without talking about Jesus. :) My favorite things in nature are flowers (esp. Roses), creeks, trees, sunshine (which I lack here), mountains, cool grass beneath my toes, wind blowing my hair, and fog rolling in making things look mysterious.
My favorite season is Autumn. I love the way the leaves change colors, I love the crunch as I crush the fallen ones under my feet. I love the steely grey sky that stands over the change in foliage. I love the crisp chill in the air. I love that I have to bundle up and start wearing jackets and scarves again. Fall has always made me happy. (Also, two of my favorite holidays are in fall as well as my sister and my birthdays)
My other favorite time of year is spring and early summer. I love all the flowers that bloom. I love the flowering trees that rain down petals on unsuspecting passersby. I love the sunshine and the bright colors of the flora.
I love roses best of any flower, maybe because Rose is my middle name. They are so beautiful. As a child, pink roses were my favorite, but now as I grow older I find that I like red roses best. I see roses as showing the life of a girl. When girls are young they are pink roses, full of innocence and princess-dreams, as girls grow older they become more mature and sophisticated and are more like a red rose, which usually symbolizes romantic love, they come to the age when they choose to be in relationships and get married. Later, when they are grandmothers, they are sweet little old ladies, and they make me think of yellow roses. The best analogy between girls and roses is the white rose. My prayer is that every girl would be a slow-blooming white rose who will be pure in what she does and save herself for her wedding day when that white dress will not be merely because of tradition, but because she has kept herself pure for God and her husband.
Next stop on this blog: Adventureland!!
No comments:
Post a Comment