garden – maggiemarcum

Finding the Divine in Nature

Earlier this week I had the privilege of sharing my writing as part of an exercise in creation for our ecumenical community at The Coracle. As the church continues to celebrate the season of creation, I invite you to consider a new way of looking at the world around you, especially the gardens and grounds that we frequently simply pass by as part of our normal day. Experience all that The Divine has created with a new openness.

Creation is all around us and we can especially find the Divine in the beauty of the garden – in the smallest of creatures that crawl on the green leaves, held in place by a vine leading to a strong branch, and an even stronger tree trunk.

The more we are outside- the more we can begin to see creation abounding. The more we are in creation, we step out from the flesh and into the whole of creation – the gift of life for all, from The Maker. We are invited to take a new look, to explore the unfamiliar, or familiar, from a new perspective. When needed, we step in and see that which is neglected or in need of restoring.

Author Thor Hanson in his book, Close to Home, suggests we consider three ways of experiencing creation in and around us: in Seeing, Exploring, and Restoration. The invitation today as you walk in the gardens, walk to the ocean or hills, or help plant new creation is to stop and gaze, see, feel, hear, taste God’s presence and to seek his guidance as you step, or sit in the completive companion which is nature.

We begin with a focus toward Seeing:

John Burrough’s Leaf and Tendril said: “The lesson which life repeats and constantly enforces is ‘look under foot.’ Every place is under the stars; every place is the center of the world”

In Job we hear:

“Just ask the animals, and they will teach you.
    Ask the birds of the sky, and they will tell you.
⁸Speak to the earth, and it will instruct you.
    Let the fish in the sea speak to you.
⁹For they all know
    that my disaster^[ has come from the hand of the Lord.
¹⁰For the life of every living thing is in his hand,
    and the breath of every human being.

Job 12: 7-10

As you look out today, consider the simple insect – do we just hear the buzzing around us or do we pause and also see the magnificent design of the wings and the body? Do we strain to look closer?

Be curious like a little child. Be aware and relearn how to tap into your senses to perceive the tiny details with wonderment.

How is the Divine inviting you to reorient your way of looking and seeing?

Consider Exploring, as J R R Tolkien wrote in The Hobbit: “There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something.”

When we turn to scripture, we read in Isaiah 40:

Look up into the heavens.
    Who created all the stars?
He brings them out like an army, one after another,
    calling each by its name.
Because of his great power and incomparable strength,
    not a single one is missing.

Look again in the familiar garden or backyard — what is new today? What has been unseen? A new insect? New flower bud? Be curious. Look again. Invite the Creator to reveal creation.

Look up! Look down! Look past where you normally gaze, and gaze as God does on the beautiful.

What captures your gaze and causes you to linger? What enchants you? What are you seeking from the Divine to reveal today?

Restoring takes time and commitment. Sir Thomas Quiller-Couch in On the Art of Reading shared: “Where there is freedom to experiment there is hope to improve.”

David said it even better in Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.

That is true for the land and for our soul. We can easily become diverted, yet the Creator calls us back again and again to grow into the New. We come from one place to another- called by the Divine. Restoration begins where we are. The ground that needs weeding. The bench to repair. The feeder to fill. The branches to trim. The new soil to lay and plant seeds that will blossom into newness. All of which we must tend to with regular attention to sustain growth.

Where is God showing you to turn over the soil and plant something new? Where does the Creator want your attention placed- to water and till?

Roam now and see, hear, smell, and taste creation- a gift from the One who loves us and sustains us on this planet. Linger in the aroma of Great Spirit Creator, the wonder of the Maker of Life, and know the love of Creator who sets us Free-Jesus. (These beautiful names are drawn from First Nations Version- An Indigenous)

Healthy Walking- part three. Experience Your neighborhood

Sometimes it’s just about the Walk.

Sometimes it’s just feeling a cool breeze and noticing things around us—checking out our neighborhood and hearing sounds central to our community. I love an early morning walk while the air is still cool and the birds are just waking. The glimmer of the new-day sun reminds me of all the possibilities ahead.

There’s a lot of construction going on around our neighborhood and it makes me smile to watch all of the workers coming in and doing what they do. Usually there is laughter, the beeping of a truck as it backs up, or the clang of the metal detour signs setting in place. All the sounds of a neighborhood coming to new life and opportunities.

It’s simple the things that we can be curious about when we walk and keep our eyes open to notice the “normal.” Do you know how many different kinds of cars are parked on a busy street?? I look at the cars and I wonder who the drivers are and what brought them to the neighborhood. Do they live here? Are they visiting? Do they work here? What assumptions am I making about them because of their car??

We are fortunate to have places scattered about to sit and rest and watch the day unfold. We have several areas with fountains. I love the refreshing sounds of the water running. For me, I find peace in the ripple of water. Imagine sitting here having lunch in the afternoon, watching the waterfall and the construction crews building from the designs that they were given. Each day it’s a little bit new and I look forward to seeing their finished project.

My mile walk brings me past the local restaurants, coffee shops, and the nursery. One more statue with running water that captures my attention as I peak down the aisles to see what new plants are emerging. The morning is too early for stores to be open and it’s the perfect time to stroll through town looking in all the windows.

As I head home, the building in which I live is coming back to life. Kids are getting ready for school. Adults are packing their lunches and bags for their busy day at work. The retirees are stretching and coming down to start their own walks. The day has begun, and I am grateful to be a part of it.

I hope you will take time to look around your neighborhood and see the sites that maybe you have just walked by. I’m learning to appreciate all that God has created, even through the humans that are building them. May your day be filled with joy and peace as you breathe in Yahweh Beauty and out that which you don’t need to carry into the day.