Climbing Trees To God

Shawn, Iliana, and I went on a walk this evening after dinner. We do that often. It's sort of our family tradition.We stopped to enjoy one of our favorite groves of trees nearby where we lived. We sat on a park bench and all looked up to the trees and the sky so we could experience them. The trees swayed gently in the breeze. Silence seeped into our souls. Peace. Iliana broke the silence with, "Mommy and Daddy, I want to climb a tree to God." What a beauty-full thought. Trees pointing upward, symbolically pointing toward God and the heavens.

Do we need to climb some trees to God? What turns our souls toward God?

Earlier this year I was in the Rocky Mountains at St. Malo Retreat Center. I remember listening to the wind sing through the trees. I was enamored with the chapel on the grounds, too. I remember turning to leave the chapel and looking at the ground as I climbed down the steps. I nearly forgot what beauty was smack in front of my face: Mount Meeker--nearly 14,000 ft. tall. They call those fourteeners. It was a fourteener and I was missing the peak and the beauty smack dab in front of me because I was looking down. I temporarily forgot to look up!

Gazing upon Mt. Meeker is like climbing a tree to God. It reminded me of strength--of God being our fortress. I could gaze and gaze and gaze at it. And I did during the retreat for almost an hour. I thought of many of the metaphors in Scripture that had to do with mountains. But my point is that I had to look up, to remember to look up, like we looked up at the trees this evening. Looking up and climbing to God.

As we go through our days, let us think about what turns our gaze upward toward God. Let us climb "these trees" to him. And let's remember, like I needed to remember, to look up!

Creativity of the Divine Imagination

Have you ever gone to an aquarium or looked inside a picture book to see different colors of fish? I remember seeing  a certain kind of fish at the Newport Aquarium in Kentucky ( I don't remember its name). It is neon yellow with neon blue fins. The colors are beautiful. When I see amazing colors on fish or other animals like a peacock, I always think "Lord, you have Crayola Crayon Company beat." They imitate what they've already seen. Crayola got its ideas for crayon colors from nature, from God's creation. The Lord has the most beautiful mind, the most beautifully imaginiative mind.

 Other creatures I enjoy are seahorses. Aren't they interesting? So little and curious. I think also of the creatures of the deep, creatures I'll never see but that live everyday, going about their business. Some are not so eye-pleasing as the seahorse or little chipmunks, but God created them for his pleasure none the less. And when I think of animals, I wonder if they have a sensus divinitatus. I believe that is Calvin's term for divine sense. Do they know or sense their creator? I have to think so. God loves his creation, human beings as well as animals.

One last thing, and I saw this the other day. I love watching a calf skip. "A calf skipping" is mentioned in Scripture too. Maybe in the Psalms or Isaiah. I can't remember at this moment. God gives us creation and all things for our pleasure. Creation including human beings are gifts. Trees--old, old ones that have seen many things, are gifts.

Let us take pleasure in the creation God has gifted us with. That means getting outside. Then we'll walk around in perpetual wonder and gratitude for the many gifts God has given us.