Journal entry 1!

Nicole Burns
August 29, 2017
Treks and Texts: Journeys into Nature
Daniel Williams

My first day at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge consisted of the exploration of my path. The sun was shining brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. My path was surrounded by lush green grass because of the frequent rainfall (frequent for Texas at least). Within the first twenty feet I found a bench where visitors are able to rest. As I continued down our trail, there were plenty of trees, leaves, bushes, and flowers that I am currently not able to characterize by name. I hope to gain some insight into what exactly I am looking at. Toward the end of our trail we encountered a bridge without any railings. At this point we were deep into a forested area and the scenery was incredible. I think my first exploration of our path reminded me how important it is to slow down from the busyness of life to enjoy the creation around me. It is beneficial to do physical labor without having to engage your mind. Becoming one with nature encourages all of our senses to be engaged. I could hear the crinkling of leaves underneath my feet. I could hear the chirping of birds and the scurrying of squirrels. I could see the vast palette of colors ranging from deep greens to rich browns. I could smell the wood around me. I could feel the shade from the oak trees that towered over me. Nature is able to remind me how small I am, yet how complex we are as humans. I am doing a study in Genesis right now and it is neat to look at the creation of nature through a biblical lens. From the beginning, God called land, water, plants bearing seed, trees, and animals into existence. It is crazy to think about how long nature has existed. It is interesting to me to further look at how God uses nature and man together. While God called parts of nature into existence, he “made” man in his image. He actually made man out of the dust of the ground and then breathed life into him. Nature and animals are beautiful and are able to bring glory to their creator, yet humans have such rich complexity beyond nature. I am studying the covenants of the Old Testament and one of the main themes that I find in every covenant is the idea of land. When I looked at the story of Adam and Eve, God describes the Garden of Eden—an environment given so that man could enjoy nature and enjoy the food that nature provides with only one exception. The land (aka nature) that was given was a specific place prepared by the Lord for His people to carry out his commands. Furthermore, the idea of land comes up again and again in stories of the Old and New Testament. As a man living on earth for thirty-three years, Jesus often used nature (specifically the desert) to retreat and be isolated with the Father. Nature is such a gift and images like the depths of the sea and the height of mountain ranges are able to bring so much glory to the creator.


Comments

  1. williams.dan76October 2, 2017 at 7:01 AM

    This is a great start to your journal. I liked how you connected nature and belief.

    ReplyDelete

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