Today is Earth Day, a celebration of the world we’ve been given, the beauty contained within it, and the responsibility we’ve been given to care for it. While the “official” holiday of Earth Day has only been around for the past 40 years, that mandate is as old as the earth itself:
The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. (Genesis 2:15)
Like Adam, we have been given the task of being good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, and that includes this spinning top we call “home.” What better way to celebrate earth day than to express my gratitude to my Creator God for the beauty He has given us in the world we live in.
I’ve been privileged to experience moments of true awe in nature. Times when I believe God has taken me aside and given me a tiny glimpse of His glory. Moments when my senses and my soul are overwhelmed with the beauty, majesty and perfection of creation. Moments when I am drawn to a standstill and simply sit, or stand, or bow in awe of my Creator, the Master Artist Himself. Moments when my heart is filled with worship and adoration for Him. Moments when I am humbled to think that He would want to share this beauty with me.
So today, I’m grateful for the beauty of God’s creation:
- for bluebonnets in Texas in the spring
- for the blazing color of fall foliage in New England
- for the dazzling beauty of freshly-fallen snow and frozen winter landscapes
- for sun-kissed beaches of white sand and turquoise waters
- for the majesty of snow-capped mountains
- for canyons, grand and otherwise, carved out of the earth
- for flashes of jagged lightning, streaking across the sky
- for waterfalls, flowing out of hidden streams into inky-black pools
- for the diversity of our world, from lush, tropical jungles, to spartan desert landscapes
- for shooting stars across the African sky
For the beauty of the earth – ALL of it – I am grateful.
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