Nature Speaks to Me
Dear Friends and Family of HBC,
I have been with you for three years. By now you know I often find spiritual lessons in everyday objects and in nature. You may recall last summer I shared this quote from Henri Nouwen: “All of nature conceals great secrets that cannot be revealed to us if we do not listen carefully”.
This morning I listened as nature “spoke” to me once again. Karen and I have a Koi pond off our patio. Every winter I must put a bubbler in the pond to keep an open hole for poisonous gases to escape. Without an opening the gases build up and the hibernating fish will die. When we have several days of below or near freezing temperatures, I face a challenge. The hole will freeze over. To combat this I pour boiling water over the ice to re-open the hole allowing the gases to escape.
I could not help but wonder if this same principle does not apply to our faith. We have seasons of cold, seasons of feeling like life is freezing over. The poisonous gases build up and if nothing is done, we may feel our soul is suffocating. How do we combat this? We need to create an opening in the ice.
Here are a few suggestions to do this. Read your Bible until something moves you and then spend time allowing it to “bubble”. Help someone else expecting nothing in return and you may discov- er your own heart is warmed in the process. Get outside and enjoy the world around you. Yes, there is beauty even in the winter. Go to church and consider the ways God may be trying to stir you.
In time you may discover the ice opens and the promise of spring and new life gives you the hope to push through your winter.
Much peace to you, Dan
Categories: Pastors Message