Nature: God's Silent Fireworks

“I like when the sky is like that,” Hunter said, pointing out a cascade of pink hues in an early morning daybreak. It was a rare moment that we were both sitting at the kitchen table, enjoying our breakfast before the hectic day began. I agreed with him, “Yes, it is pretty,” I said, actually stopping to notice the beauty of it. Then he added a short description that captured the essence of the view. “It’s like fireworks, only silent.”
That statement took my breath away. He was right. The glow was majestic, powerful, and inspiring. Yet, it was quiet. There was no sound to command attention. However, once I noticed it, I didn’t want to stop enjoying it.
If you are like me on most days, this grandeur is missed. I rush through the day, overwhelmed and stressed out, with too many items on my plate to balance. I think everything I am doing is so important and if something gets dropped, gets out of line, or simply doesn’t happen, then the day is over. Then I start it all over again with the same pressures and deadlines looming.
Only when a tragedy occurs do I seem to wake up from this illusion. A loved one dies, a heart gets broken, tears fall, and I stop. When life becomes too real or too much, I seem to wake up, suddenly aware of everything around me. I see the promise of tulips and daffodils about to bloom in my yard, the intricate patterns of the fish in my aquarium, and a sun, vibrant and consistent, always rising with authority and resting with a warm glow. I pause. My world stops and sighs. Then, as two little boys race by, I marvel at how quickly they are growing up to be young men.
It is through nature that I feel close to God. I think my sons have that same love for nature as we all enjoy traipsing through the woods, watching birds flock to our backyard, and finding any excuse to spend a little more time outside.
Perhaps it is through nature that God reveals Himself to me. I know that His love is constant. “Oh, thank God--He’s so good! His love never runs out.” (Psalm 107:1) He is also majestic and powerful. “God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing, a wild dance, whirling…we call out, “Glory!” (Psalm 29: 9). The crashing waves at the beach, the tug on a kite with a strong March wind, and the torrents of rain as I race out of the grocery store thinking I can make it only to get drenched remind me of his strength. Yet it is His strength that I long for. “God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace.” (Psalm 29:11). Finally, He is beautiful. He is not boastful nor is He a braggart. He doesn’t show off, even though He could. He makes things glorious. He made Hunter and Parker. He made you. “Body and soul, I am marvelously made!” (Psalm 139:15). I am humbled by the Creator’s love for me.
A friend of mine said that instead of waking up thinking about what he was supposed to create today, he decided to wake up and think about the Creator. Instead of thinking about what he had to accomplish, he was going to enjoy seeing how the Creator used him that day.
I like that idea. It takes the pressure off of me to be in charge. When the day is done, there is only One who is in control. “Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, the days of my life all prepared before I’d even lived one day.” (Psalm 139:15-16). I am comforted that He is taking care of the day He has already planned. When I am overwhelmed, He is there, faithful, strong, and loving. “Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.” (I Peter 5: 7). Best of all, He doesn’t create in a stressed out, hurried up, chaotic fashion. He creates with patience, understanding, and wisdom. Most of all, He creates with love. He makes silent fireworks.