The Unfathomable Beauty of Creation

My mood is often determined by the weather. Every winter, I get a bit of a depression. I gain weight, lose joy, and isolate through the cold, bleak weather. In the spring, my mood lightens as the days become longer and lighter. The warm weather and extended daylight bring irrevocable joy to my heart. To see the flowers bloom, feel the warmth of the sun, smell the fresh cut grass, hear the birds chirping outside my window, and taste the nectar of honey from the local bees that overwhelm my deck – it brings me great joy and peace. I take walks, soak in the beauty, take deep sniffs of fresh air, and thank God for the beautiful days.

So why, in the winter, do I deprive myself of the joy? I don’t look at the fresh fallen snow and feel joy. I think of what I must shovel and how cold I’m going to be as soon as I leave the comfort of my cozy home. I don’t think of the wonders the Lord has done to make the seasons and the snow, just as He has made the sun and the spring. I glaze over it all, hibernate on my couch under my blanket and confine myself to the walls of the indoors.

“As the shining sun is clear to all, so the glory of the Lord fills all his works; Yet even God’s holy ones must fail in recounting the wonders of the Lord, though God has given his hosts the strength to stand firm before his glory.” – Ben Sira 42: 16-17 (emphasis added)

I know the Lord created every single part of this big, beautiful planet, and it’s why I love traveling. It’s exhilarating to see what the Lord created in another part of the world – its nature, people, cultures – and the unique goodness of each place. I open myself up to being less ignorant about a small part of His creation. But I still fail in recounting the glory of all He created. His works are vast, and, as said in scripture, I know I cannot begin to fathom Him. The way He can command the seas and the storms, place drops of dew on the spring flower and create a galaxy of stars so fierce – I can’t imagine the depth of a God so powerful.

“Let us praise him the more, since we cannot fathom him, for greater is he than all his works; Awesome indeed is the Lord, and wonderful his power. Lift up your voices to glorify the Lord as much as you can, for there is still more. Extol him with renewed strength, do not grow weary, for you cannot fathom him. For who has seen and can describe him? Who can praise him as he is? Beyond these, many things lie hidden; only a few of his works have I seen. It is the Lord who has made all things; to those who fear him he gives wisdom.” – Ben Sira 43: 28-33 (emphasis added)

I don’t thank the Lord enough for all He created. I don’t praise Him enough for allowing me to experience the beautiful scenery He dropped me into. I don’t allow myself to sit still and experience my daily life enough to truly appreciate the seasons in their unique way. The days fly by, I miss the subtleties of life changing around me, I miss the point.

Lord, thank you for this world full of life. Thank you for the seasons, cultures, animals, storms, and tranquility. It all is a part of your creation. It all is a part of your story. Help me to stop to smell the flowers and sing with the morning birds. Help me to embrace your plans for the light of the day and depth of the night. Help me to love each day uniquely, for I know it is far greater than I could even fathom.