Nature Belongs To Its Creator

Okay, I confess. I drove an hour in heavy Fourth of July BEACH! traffic to be with my daughter at camp so we could watch the fireworks together. They weren't spectacular like in years past, the mosquitoes were so big I think I was lifted off the blanket a couple of times, but it was still a wonderful evening.

We sat by the waters edge, a slight breeze blowing gently in our faces, my daughter had her head resting on my shoulder, and sometimes she would pat my leg. We ate homeade ice cream after the fireworks and sat around fellowshipping with a bunch of teen-agers from another city. They tour around the Southeast, singing and giving their testimonies. They are lively, lovely and madly in love with Jesus. If anybody doubts whether there are still teens out there who love the Lord, I can tell you with a resounding , "YES!" they are out there and they want to make a difference.

I am so blessed. My Lord loves to take care of the intimate details of my life. He guided me carefully to and from camp--I don't drive at night as a rule, but I was able to get home safely. The weather was perfect for just sitting out and breathing in the smells of the ocean, listening to the waves lap at the beachhead and kids of all ages giggling and screaming as the fireworks exploded with sound and color--all things God could have left out of His planning, but He included them so our lives would be full of Him, our senses can come alive as we breathe, touch, hear, see and taste His goodness.

What if He had made our vision black and white? We would not know the colors of a sunset or the rich colors of a rose. What if we could not taste chocolate? Homemade bread right out of the oven slathered in creamy butter. What if we couldn't smell our newborn baby freshly bathed and powdered? What if we couldn't smell Christmas or a rain? How about not being to feel a hug or the warmth of a fire, the soft fur of a puppy or the comfort of ur own bed? What if we never heard the crackle of a fire in fall or our children telling us they loved them? What if God had decided to not include our senses in His make up of us?

The very reason we have all these things is because He loves us. he wants us to have joy while we are here on Earth, to enjoy life. Yes, we will have trials, suffering and persecution, but those only draw us closer to Him where we find peace, joy, and love. God is all about creation. He's all about creativity. He could have made us all the same--but He chose not to. He gives us variety. But we tend, just as the Jews did in the wilderness, to complain. It's just not enough. "Where are you God," we cry. "Why?"

He is everywhere. You can smell Him, you can taste Him, you can feel Him, you can hear Him, you can see Him. His Presence, the essence of Who He is can be found in nature, the things He made with His loving, tender hands.

Thank You, Lord, for blessing us with variety, the spice of life. You are so thoughtful to think about what would bring us pleasure, just for pleasure's sake. Thank You for passing on creativity to humans that others may create simply for the pleasure of creating. There is none like You.