Comfort: Beauty in Creation

“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.” –Psalm 104:24

When you don’t know any differently, it is easy to take the seemingly ordinary parts of life for granted. While I have a deep love for the rhythm of the year and the changing seasons, whenever I am with someone who has never seen snow or hasn’t experienced the coloring change of deciduous leaves in autumn, I am reminded of the gifts of each season. 

Although I am far from being outdoorsy, my reverence for God is always renewed when I am in the beauty of creation. I experience wonderment in equal measure when seeing the sun dip below the peaks of the blue ridge mountains and when light kisses the tassels of corn as the sun rises over flat acres of fields behind my home. 

While in my estimation there is nothing lovely about a spider, the gleam of dew on the fragile threads of a web sparks awe within me. I grumble about the staining grime of black walnuts as I gather them ahead of mowing, but the shade of the sprawling branches from the pair of trees in the south yard bring relief in the middle of summer. 

A fresh blanket of snow, the refreshment of a gentle rain shower, the fragrance of the budding lilac; the goodness and creativity of God sings around us. 

Thank you, generous Creator, for the wonder, beauty and delight of the many good gifts around me. May I experience your goodness through all you have made. Amen.

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Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Comfort & Joy: Readings and Practices for Advent is available now! With readings to walk through the Advent and Christmas season, the weekly offerings in Comfort and Joy include a variety of devotional meditations and invitations to spiritual practices that help us slow down and savor this sacred season.