The Splendor of Your Creation

Ever since the kids were young, I wanted them to pay attention to the cool stuff God does for us in nature. In the springtime, I wanted them to notice the trees when they started to bud and the flowers pushing up through the slushy snow. In the summer, I had them literally pause to smell the flowers. When it was fall, we took walks in the metroparks and marvelled at the pretty colors when the leaves were changing. In the winter, I tried to draw their attention to the way the snow drifted, the way it would stick to the trees and create a winter wonderland.

At night, I would point out different constellations. We watched eclipses and looked for falling stars. When Venus was visible in the night sky, I identified it for the kids. Their attention was drawn to brilliant sunsets and dark clouds rolling in for a summer storm. We were excited when we would see rainbows; especially double rainbows which inevitably led to conversations about how God promised never to flood the earth again.

One night, Mike and I stood in awe when we witnessed the Milky Way in a spectacularly clear display of stars. While we watched, a heron flew across the horizon, it's shadow floating just in front of the moon. He called me once around 4:30 am and insisted that I go outside on a very cold morning. I stood in our yard in NW Ohio and witnessed the Northern Lights; cool green, off white and red lights danced across the sky above our garage and it made me clap with delight that God's creation was singing praises to Him and that as insignificant as I am, I was able to witness it!

I told the kids that all of these things were God's way of making us pay attention to Him and said we should never be too busy to appreciate the beautiful things He created for us. God could have chosen a designated time for all of the leaves to drop from the trees. Instead, he paints the landscape with brilliant hues in a fitting send off before nature goes dormant for the winter. He could have spoken the word and turned off the sun at some specified time, but instead he paints the sky with pinks, blues and purples singing a lullaby to the earth before bed.

There was a time in my life when I did not notice such things as often as I should have, but I have since come to understand that God is drawing my attention to Him in these details. Each snowflake is created differently, each sunset and sunrise unique from the day before and each spring and fall are never duplicated.

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork."

We just have to slow down and pay attention. Having kids helped me do that.


“The Splendor of Your Creation”

As the sun sinks in the western sky
and the horizon is painted in a beautiful lullaby,
I ponder the clouds in their pink and blue dress
while night creeps in, bidding me rest.

In the majesty of the mountains
in the rolling waves of the sea
in the beauty of the sunrise
I can see Your love for me.

How majestic is the eagle
soaring freely on its path
and the rose upon its petals catch
drops of rain from a summer bath.

While in the beauty of the setting sun
in the rolling waves of the sea
in the majesty of the eagle
God's love has set me free.

-T. Bent
July 17, 2004

For Michael T.