“By reading the scriptures I am so renewed that all nature seems renewed around me and with me. The sky seems to be a pure, a cooler blue, the trees a deeper green. The whole world is charged with the glory of God and I feel fire and music under my feet.” – Thomas Merton
A holy kind of noticing takes place when we view creation’s glory through a lens of faith and grace. Especially the minor things we might have otherwise overlooked. They begin to stand out for us as portents of promise, signs of beauty and praise, and messages of God’s love and grace. Will you pause a while to appreciate this with me?
Sacred waves
Oh the calm, calm waves of sky
reaching out to me in scattered, skeined
arms of pale, muted grey cloud
singing out their love, revealing how
the deepest act of devotion
I might be capable of this day, this moment
maybe, is to simply watch and wonder,
pray, and absorb the gift they bring,
give thanks for my life, this offering.
Because here and now are the most
important moments I exist,
in which to sense a holy invitation
to see, touch and taste, to focus on
the divine aspects, the holy,
wholesome sacredness of this
oh so ordinary, fleeting, minor
moment when God chooses
to remind me of his presence,
and then to stretch out my fingertips,
to say yes, I will look, I will listen,
and I will receive your love and grace.
I will take this offering as a sign
of hope, and I will secure
it fast within my insecure heart,
to take out and examine again
on darker days, when light and joy
seem so very far away,
and I will recall the preciousness
of my soul’s brief noticing,
as a harbinger of light and spring.
© joylenton
“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” – Martin Luther
Poetry Joy 
Joy, everything was beautiful about this post. Martin Luther was so correct. If we forget that God is with us, we only need to look at the birds, trees, and sky to know he is all around us.
God bless you.
Thank you for this wonderful post.
Drew, I’m so glad this post spoke to you, my friend. And I’m praying you will have a greater measure of health and strength. May you also have time to rest, relax, notice the beauty around you, pause and smell the roses. Or write about them, perhaps. Blessings of hope and peace to you, creative one.
Thank you for this beautiful reply. Fills my heart with hope and beauty.
It’s no less than you do for others when they read your heartfelt words. Your poetic gift cheers, encourages and inspires. 😊
Flattered and grateful for your words.
Thanks.
Dear Joy,
This brought such tears to my eyes today, as I am praying for a dear one who was so enamored with every gift that nature had to bestow. He is in his last days here on this earth, and I am praying so much that he who heard the call of God’s nature would now also hear the call of God’s dear Son. Thank you my friend for the sweet encouragement you have brought to me today. Love and hugs and blessings to you. xoxo
Dear Bettie, oh that we might all be as enamoured with every gift nature has to bestow! There is so much for us to appreciate. I’m joining you in your fervent prayer. May it be so, Lord. God speaks to us powerfully through the created world, but His most vital message for our souls comes via His beloved Son. It’s an honour to have helped encourage you here, dear friend. Blessings, love and hugs to you too. xoxo 💜
Joy, this is so beautiful! And it’s such a good reminder to step back, slow down and take a good look at what is surrounding us. Then we will see the beauty we might otherwise miss and will be drawn to praise our Creator. Blessings and love to you, my dear sister/poet/friend! xoxo
Gayl, its actually quite sad that we need such reminders because it doesn’t always come naturally to us to notice otherwise. Because we have a tendency to get too diverted by what’s before our eyes and trying to complete our never ending To Do list. May God increase our desire and ability to enjoy the beauty that exists on our doorstep and beyond. The end result will be as you have said: “Then we will see the beauty we might otherwise miss and will be drawn to praise our Creator.” Amen, my friend! Blessings and love to you too! xoxo 💜
Such a beautiful, beautiful post. The quotes, your reflections, the scenery and your moving poetry. I especially love this bit:
“and then to stretch out my fingertips,
to say yes, I will look, I will listen,
and I will receive your love and grace.”
Yesterday, I had an hour before I had to pick up the girls from school. I saw the sunshine and blue skies and remembered how I used to bike out to my favorite bench, just to sit with God and pour out my heart to Him when the pain in my heart was just unbearable. And in that moment I decided to let go of all I saw that “had to get done” in that hour.
As the sun streamed down on me and the breeze brushed up against my face, I just sat thanking God for that moment: for Him loving me so very much that He would invite me just to sit there with Him.
So, this post of yours is just so precious. Thank you.
Dear Anna, what a precious memory you received, and what a great way to spend an hour you had free! We’re so often stirred by the sight of creation’s beauty, but if we get an opportunity to sit and savour it, the refreshing we receive is amplified indeed. I’m glad you gave in to the desire to pause rather than caved in to the urge to do more. We can get so caught up in doing that we miss the simple benefits of being. Thank you for describing it so vividly I felt like I was there with you! May you have more of those kind of slowed down moments in the days and months ahead as you heed the holy invitation to spend time outside communing with God. Blessings and love. xo 💜
I just read that passage from Merton a few days ago! I love the way he approached nature ❤️❤️
You did?! Mind you, I shouldn’t be surprised because you’re reading his work attentively in this season. I’ve been inspired to order a couple of his books since reading the wonderful quotes you share on your blog. His words definitely find a resonance in my soul. I’ll be saving one for later on in the year and dipping into the other one on and off during Lent. I love the way you share images of the beautiful scenery close to your home and the delightful creatures that inhabit the area as well. I always enjoy seeing them. 😊❤💜