Nature sings

Hyacinth Bean Vine

Daily Gratitude Year Four-Day 308: Today, I am grateful for native plants and nature's ability to reseed and bring life, season after season.

(Text my journal prompt #6: What in nature are you grateful for?)

A friend shared hyacinth bean vine seed pods a few years ago. The bean pods were collected from a plant and planted the next spring. In our climate, I am not sure the seed would survive the winter, but with the most simple of gardening efforts, we can collect the pods...plant and enjoy the vine the next year. 

It is stunning. In some climates, it will reseed itself, wherever the pods fall.  It is a showy and beautiful vine with purple flowers and equally beautiful bean pods.It makes me smile. This year, my little neighbor girl helped me plant. We waited and watched it grow.

The miracle of Mount St. Helen comes to mind, too. I remember when the volcano erupted in May 18, 1980, pouring life ending hot lava for miles and miles over what was once a lush and beautiful mountainous landscape. Scientist were confident the mountain would never recover in my life time. Science was wrong. 

Image of Mount St. Helens 25 years after eruption.

In Luke 19:39-40, Jesus warns that if we fail to acknowledge and praise Him -the rocks will cry out. 

"And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” 

The earth is full of his majesty. Some feel closest to God in communion with nature, even more than in a church sancutary.This does not mean we can ignore community worship, for it is a key part of growing in faith. 

Still, in the Bible... and often today... people go to the wilderness to avoid distractions... to pray... and to focus on God's direction. They go to nature to seek His will and get a glimpse of his face in the landscape. They go to pause and listen for his voice. It is a place without distraction or cell phones. It is an amphitheater of his glory. In nature... we can breathe.

Surrounded by a vibrant show of life, the rocks cry out,. Think of the Grand Canyon or Mount St. Helens. Life survives and thrives in the most unusual places but because of his glorious design and the delicate balance he created. 

How grateful I am that nature must sing his praise. Nature must respond with awe, gratitude and splendor in the presence of a Holy God. God designed nature to be magnificent. Much of it looks like a miracle to me, but it is by divine design. When he chooses, he can act outside the boundaries he created. 

We can plant a seed, but he makes it grow. Many seeds will grow without our attention... by design. Some people say we are never closer to God than in a garden. For some, gardens are their art.For them, that is true. 

I stick the the simple bean pods and enjoy all of nature that sings his praises. 

Earworm is singing "Joy to the World's" chorus: "Let heaven and nature sing, Let Heaven and nature sing."

Today, I am grateful for native plants and nature's ability to reseed and bring life, season after season.