Reflection for December 19th by Amity Lantz, Director of Youth and Family Faith Formation
It’s the beginning of winter in Minnesota. Are you feeling comfy cozy, or a bit stir-crazy? Have you dusted off the skis and snowshoes, or are you looking at your shovel and wishing it was a kayak paddle?
We often take for granted the blessing of having four seasons. In these winter months we can get caught in the white gray haze and forget to see the deep green of the evergreen trees that get lost behind the bright greens of summer and the red and yellow of autumn. We miss the craftsmanship of the journey water takes as it forms robust and striking icicles hanging from the sides of buildings and the gutters of houses. And as snow falls from the sky it’s easy to brush past the complexity in each and every snowflake. The attention and expertise that went into designing something that has never been created before and will not be replicated again.
God begins everything by creating our world. Piece by piece he creates this beautiful and complex landscape that will be the setting in all stories throughout history. A place that will provide us with everything that is essential to human life in a physical way, and a place that can also provide for us in an emotional way. The quiet of sitting on your back porch reading in the sun, and laughter of throwing snowballs at your friends, splashing your cousins in the lake, watching the stars with your loved ones.
With the world around us God invites us to see ourselves outside of our bodies. We can reflect on the way our relationships can mimic rivers and streams. How our health can be seen in the way flowers bounce back after getting the nutrients they need. The way baby turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their own eggs and start their own families. When we go outside, we get to see ourselves reflected back in the way that God lovingly created everything around us.
“God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on the trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”
— Author Unknown
A prayer for Today: Creator God, we give thanks for this world you have blessed us with. The care and attention you gave to each and every tree, flower, bird, and insect. We ask that you help us to see the importance of the world around us, and that we are here to care for this creation, in the way you care for us. Be with us as we step into this world and see not only ourselves, but You reflected in the power, light, and love we are constantly surrounded by. Amen
It’s the beginning of winter in Minnesota. Are you feeling comfy cozy, or a bit stir-crazy? Have you dusted off the skis and snowshoes, or are you looking at your shovel and wishing it was a kayak paddle?
We often take for granted the blessing of having four seasons. In these winter months we can get caught in the white gray haze and forget to see the deep green of the evergreen trees that get lost behind the bright greens of summer and the red and yellow of autumn. We miss the craftsmanship of the journey water takes as it forms robust and striking icicles hanging from the sides of buildings and the gutters of houses. And as snow falls from the sky it’s easy to brush past the complexity in each and every snowflake. The attention and expertise that went into designing something that has never been created before and will not be replicated again.
God begins everything by creating our world. Piece by piece he creates this beautiful and complex landscape that will be the setting in all stories throughout history. A place that will provide us with everything that is essential to human life in a physical way, and a place that can also provide for us in an emotional way. The quiet of sitting on your back porch reading in the sun, and laughter of throwing snowballs at your friends, splashing your cousins in the lake, watching the stars with your loved ones.
With the world around us God invites us to see ourselves outside of our bodies. We can reflect on the way our relationships can mimic rivers and streams. How our health can be seen in the way flowers bounce back after getting the nutrients they need. The way baby turtles return to the beach where they were born to lay their own eggs and start their own families. When we go outside, we get to see ourselves reflected back in the way that God lovingly created everything around us.
“God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but on the trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.”
— Author Unknown
A prayer for Today: Creator God, we give thanks for this world you have blessed us with. The care and attention you gave to each and every tree, flower, bird, and insect. We ask that you help us to see the importance of the world around us, and that we are here to care for this creation, in the way you care for us. Be with us as we step into this world and see not only ourselves, but You reflected in the power, light, and love we are constantly surrounded by. Amen
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