Thoughts From the Garden

Sometimes it's a good thing to shake off the city dust, change your surroundings for a bit, take advantage of the sunny, warm afternoon, and head to the countryside. Dobele, home to the northernmost fruit-bearing apricot trees and an amazing garden, which hails over 200 species of Lilacs, was our destination. We headed out, leaving our cares behind.

This garden was stunning. I have never seen so many tones of violet on one palette. Indeed, each tree was an amazing expression of God's artwork. The different fragrances from the variety of Lilacs was exhilarating. It caused one to want to touch the groups of flowers, feel the texture of the small petals, and look more closely at their structure and their design.

My friend told the story how, in her childhood, they would look among the small flowers for one with 5 petals, pull it off, eat it, and make a wish. I succumbed to this notion, not because of the wish, but out of curiosity about the taste of a flower with such an exquisite smell. Odd, I will agree, but why not?

My sense of sight, smell, touch, and even taste were stimulated by these beautiful Lilacs. I could think of nothing else but the greatness of God, His infinite imagination, His awesome power...and at the same time...His attention to detail.  

Creator God is not somewhere far away, devoid of relationship with His Creation. He is outside - above, greater than, yet intimately involved with that which He has created. He is transcendent and imminent. Romans 1:20 reads, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.". If we will take the time to look, we can see things that point us to who God is, His character, His nature, in what He has created. 

Walking through this garden, I felt both the awesomeness and closeness of God, and thought, if He has taken so much care for the things that surround me, how much more does He care for us...for man...those created in His image. I was led to a place of worship, of gratefulness, of adoration for God.

Now, I'm back in the city, and life is going on as usual...staff meetings, small group, blog writing, etc. But I'm the better for getting out and being reminded anew how great is our God.