Saturday Morning Jogs

But ask the animals, and they will teach you,
the birds of the air, and they will tell you;

ask the plants of the earth, and they will teach you,
and the fish of the sea will declare to you.

Who among all these does not know
that the hand of the Lord has done this?

In his hand is the life of every living thing
and the breath of every human being.
— Job 12:7-10

This stretch of view is about a mile from our house and often where you will find me on Saturday morning.  Of all the places that I run, this is my most favorite and it is right down the street.  Everything between our house and this stretch is lined in tall trees and then there is this break in the landscape and there is a small herd of cattle that live on this few acres of land.  The cows often will stand by the fence and occasionally I have gotten to pet them. 

Nature is a common place where most of us feel a direct connection to God.  Seeing the beauty of the world unfolding before our eyes causes a surety in ourselves to feel God’s hand and presence in the world.  Even though scientists can tell us how the wind blows and why the night sky is illuminated, the way it makes us feel, to me, is only explained by knowing God’s presence. No matter how many mountains I climb, streams I dip my toes in, or flowers I will smell, each moment reminds me of just how good our God is to give us this beautiful world to experience and care for.

Prayer

Beautiful God, thank You for the majesty of this world. Thank You for all the creatures of this earth and the way you have knit us together. Help us to be good stewards of Your creation by caring and tending to your earth. Even in small ways, we can each do our part. Amen.