Discovering What Nature Knows: A Prayer Exercise

"Look deep into nature, and then you 
will understand everything better."  
-Albert Einstein

This may very well be one of the reasons Jesus prayed outside so much!  

Whether on a mountain or on the side of one, in the wilderness, desert, or garden, Jesus found quiet places in creation to be alone with God the Father.   He also encouraged people to observe nature to discover the deeper messages and invitations of God, instructing them to "notice how the lilies grow" or "look at the birds in the sky." (Matthew 6:25-34)
 
All of nature is speaking!  Whether individual parts or the rhythms and cycles of creation, if we observe using all of our senses and spend some time reflecting, we can discover what nature knows.  

With notebook or journal in hand, you might try the following prayer exercise and see what the Spirit of God has to say to you about your particular worries, stresses and concerns.  What wisdom for your life is to be discovered in a single acorn or the falling leaves?  Find out!

How would you describe your November and December?

• Begin by being still and noticing how you are right now on this November day.  
• Jot down some of the patterns &/or rhythms and feelings that are part of this particular season for you.
• What would someone experience if they walked in your shoes during this season of the year?
• What do you like most about autumn & winter (November and December)?  ​What do you like least?

Now shift your attention from your own experience of November and December to nature's experience.

• ​You might take a walk.  Or sit and listen.  Or observe nature through a window.  Ask God to show you what nature knows, to speak to you through creation.
• What are some of the patterns & rhythms of nature during November & December?Do any of these patterns or rhythms coincide with your own?
• Is there something specific in nature you notice today?  Allow it to "speak" to you.  What does nature know?  What is God saying to you through it?  
• How will you integrate this wisdom into your life?  

Give thanks for God's gift of (and the wisdom found in) nature!  If there's a way to bless and care for creation, do it!

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