Whether it’s a sunrise or sunset, clouds, a full moon or a quarter, single stars or galaxies forming a shape, or a stream, river, lake, or ocean, I feel God’s peace in them all.
Any body of water is a moving piece of creation that has its own effect on the observer. A stream might have a quiet trickle which I personally love to hear. Its slow, gentle way of moving reminds me to slow down and listen to the water and other sounds of nature around me. Rivers and lakes aren’t always as calm and peaceful, depending on other aspects of nature on any given day…they can slowly meander through their surroundings or they can be a bit more aggressive as weather-related happenings affect them. To me, oceans are never peaceful…they are expansive, pushy (when their waves come barreling in to shore), abusive (when they are stirred up by storms and lash out with their fury), and destructive (when they unleash their strength and harm anything in their path).
Ah! The sun. The sun, too, can be abusive when you stay in it too long and get burnt, but the warmth of the sun on a cold day is peaceful and refreshing. The beauty of the sun rising up in the morning reminds me that God has given me another day to use for His honor and glory. I’d much rather see the sun when I get up than a dark sky which is the case now that we’ve changed our clocks again. In the evening the sunsets where I live are pretty amazing most of the time. I can’t help but smile and feel peace when I watch the setting sun. It did its job giving us daylight and then it gets to rest along with us after making me smile.
It’s often said that clouds look like cotton balls when being described. I think it’s because they are fluffy and white like cotton balls. Even as you pull cotton balls apart, you can see the whisps of clouds strewn through the sky. But I like to think of them as a big soft body pillow that I could climb in and get comfortable, wrapping my arms around, fluffing it up just right and laying my head in a soft spot to take a nap. Clouds also look like different shapes at times. I used to sit on my porch swing and watch the clouds go by, imagining what their shapes reminded me of. When I was on Facebook, I would post a picture of a cloud and ask what others saw in the shape. It was interesting because almost every time each person saw something different.
Moonlight is interesting to see and it gives us some light at night, but not near as much as the sun. But just seeing that big round object in the sky gives me a peaceful assurance that God is still there and He’s watching over me.
Stars are an interesting lot! They come in all shapes and sizes. Some stay in one place and move with the axis of the earth. Others seem to float all over at will. Then there’s the stars that twinkle, blink, or just stay solid. And don’t forget the ones that work together to form a shape in the sky like the dippers and other shapes that astronomers have given names to. If you just take a quick peak at the night sky, you will probably miss the shapes because you’re just seeing stars. It’s like the old saying that you can’t see the forest for the trees.
“For you shall go out in joy and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.”
Isaiah 55:12, ESV
This verse says you shall go OUT with JOY and be LED in PEACE. When we are full of the joy of the Lord and allow ourselves to take time to enjoy His creation, we will be truly joyful which will lead to the peace we all desire. Today go out with joy and allow His peace to permeate your entire being. Meditate on the peace in nature as you take a walk to enjoy the fresh air, sun, and all the other creations God has given us.