For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light,
Lord of all, to thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
There is something deeply
spiritual about nature. Whether it’s hiking to the summit of a mountain,
sitting on a lakeshore watching the sun set, or seeing the birds flutter around
in a garden, being close to God’s creations seems to have a calming effect on a
troubled soul. The Tabernacle Choir recognizes this, nearly all their video
clips during their weekly broadcast are showcasing nature. And who hasn’t been
driving north on a Provo road and caught Timp looking absolutely stunning.
With the social distancing going
on, and even stay at home orders in some counties, the government has encouraged
both walks, and drives to get out of the house and into nature (while observing
the six feet social distancing guideline). Utah’s National Parks are still
open. The other day I took a drive around Utah lake. It was a
wonderful distraction from the isolation, and a reminder of the beauty of God’s
creation.
The temple is often called the
mountain of the Lord. And three of the times the Lord has appeared to his
children have been in sacred spots in nature. The Garden of Eden, Mount
Sinai, and the Sacred Grove were used by the Lord, to appear.
So if things seem overwhelming,
and you need a break find some of the healing available in nature.
