“Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.” Matthew 6:25-26
I love going on walks through my neighborhood. There’s this one place called the “wetlands.” When I was growing up, (I live in the same neighborhood as when I was younger), the road passed through a swampy area where various animals lived, including beavers who cleverly crafted dams for passerbys to enjoy. It’s so beautiful, especially in autumn when you can see beyond the wetlands to all the beautiful foliage. I always slow down there during my walks for a minute or two, but the other day was different.
I went for a walk because my mind was swirling and spinning about things going on in my life. Often it happens to me as work, writing, emails, phone calls, appointments, and school schedules all fight for the forefront. This day, however, I had really only one thing on my mind. Yet still my mind spun, around and around, like it was on a merry-go-round that had an explosion in the control panel, destroying the off switch.
As I started downhill on my way to pass the wetlands for the second time, I pumped my arms in an attempt to will my legs to catch up to the speed of my mind. I didn’t even realize this was happening, and yet as my legs went faster, my mind sped up. What a sight I must have been! As I approached the bottom of the hill, though, I heard that familiar still, small voice. It said, “slow down.” Slow down? My first response was no way. I can’t. I’m on a mission. I need to keep walking. And thinking. And walking. And thinking. But I slowed down. Ok, God. You know better than me.
“More.” What?! It took all the strength I had but I forced myself to slow down even more. As I slowed my pace, I found my mind slowing as well. I approached the wetlands and that’s when I heard it. God was speaking to me through the sounds of nature. The birds sang, the crickets chirped, and God showed me something very important that day.
Does It Matter What We Think? The thoughts that swirled through my mind on the walk that day were not bad thoughts. They weren’t evil, or unkind. But they consumed me. God showed me through that experience how important it is to train our minds to slow down and focus on Him and His glory, whether it’s a beautiful sunset, a field of flowers, or the animals speaking into the quiet air. Jesus continues the verses above, “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” (vs. 28-29) God created these things for us to enjoy, but I would’ve missed it all that day if I didn’t slow down and jump off the merry-go-round.
Has God ever spoken to you through His natural creations? I’d love to hear about it!
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