God makes pretty things

I just spent a few days in the mountains of North Carolina and God sure makes pretty things. I easily forget that. Getting out of my surroundings once in a while is good.

When I forget that God makes pretty things, finding a trail and taking a walk is a good remedy. I take in the natural beauty He gave us and I am reminded it is a gift to enjoy. It is a gift that refreshes the soul. Seeking refreshment is worthwhile. John Muir said,

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.”

We can’t possibly take in all the beauty. There is such an abundance, but isn’t that the nature of our God? From vistas, to babbling brooks to emerging flowers in early spring. There is no shortage of pretty things. Spring hikes are certainly different than winter ones. I find winter hikes produce quiet contemplation, a going inward of sorts, like hibernation. Spring reminds me that something new is coming. Life is emerging and with that comes hope. If you love flowers, every bud you see is a reminder that pretty things will soon be bursting forth. New life is anticipated.

I have a couple of friends who are amazing gardeners. I love walking and enjoying their masterpiece gardens in the spring and early summer. My friends delight in the display of vibrant colors and robust growth. They create the environment for growth as they nurture and care for the soil, the seedlings and the plants. In the right environment, new growth is plentiful and everything flourishes.

The end of Lent is fast approaching. It has felt like a period of hibernation, inward thoughts, reflections of Jesus, carrying  out sacrifices, living out prayer, and how all this impacts my daily life. I pray that Jesus and I have tended the soil in the garden of my heart. After all, if the soil has been well prepared, conditions will be better suited for growth. I have a friend that challenges me with this question:

“If our inward walk with Jesus, doesn’t change our outward walk with people, then where is the fruit?”

With a week to go until Easter, I am revisiting my Lenten journey and preparing to exit a period of hibernation. Have I tended the soil? What seeds have been planted? Have I cared for them? Are there areas of overgrowth that needed pruning? Are there any visible buds? It may take time to see any changes in the garden of my heart, but hopefully God will allow me a glimpse of the change, not for self-exultation, but for gratitude – gratitude to the One who is so generous and longs for our hearts to be His masterpiece garden, because God makes pretty things.