My dad is very jovial and that is typically the tone of our
daily conversations. However, while conversing with him via phone about a year
ago he said, out of the blue with a very serious tone, “Kris I want you to
listen for God. You have to be
intentional about it. Listen in nature, listen when you are sitting alone,
listen when you are talking to people, listen when you are going through
trials, always be listening for God”. I
wrote that conversation down in my journal because I knew that although my dad
was speaking, God put it on his heart to say that specifically to me. Since that day I have been extremely
intentional about listening to God, thirsty for God to share his heart with me
and hungry to experience more of the presence of God. Since I began pursing God in that way, I have
experienced His presence in such a profound fashion.
Growing up on a farm in Tuskegee, Alabama, nature is nothing
new to me but it wasn’t until I truly connected to God that I became mesmerized
with the mighty works of His hands. The clouds, the trees, flowers, water,
sand, dirt (from which man was formed), humans, animals, the sky, stars, etc.
all attest to the loving kindness of God. It’s almost as if God is audibly
speaking to me as I drive to work and look up at the vastness of the sky. I wonder how God decide on cumulus clouds
today and stratus clouds yesterday. Just as I get caught up in analyzing God
and His decisions I am reminded that the things that my finite mind obsesses
over, God in his infinite wisdom made provisions for those things long ago. God
didn’t wake up this morning and decide if it would rain or not. The details of
life, my life and yours and the way the earth and nature responds was
pre-determined before the foundation of the earth. If God would take so much
consideration into the sky, the trees, vibrant flowers, unique animals with stripes,
dots, and in an array of colors…how much MORE thought did he put into planning
the details of your life?
Psalms 139:16 has added so much clarity to my life. It says “You saw me before I was born. Every day of
my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single
day had passed”. If we live life with a pure heart to honor God with our
lives there is absolutely nothing to worry about. Yes, life presents us with
many obstacles but one thing we can find comfort in is that God has already
made provisions for us. God is not pacing back and forth trying to decide how
to solve our problems…he is simply watching our lives unfold according to his
plan and drawing us closer to him. Satan would love to throw us off track and
keep you from living in God’s perfect will but if it is truly your hearts
intention to live for Christ, I promise you that God will grace you with His
love, peace, joy, and provision. The next time you start to obsess about your
life, your future, your problems…take a moment to allow God to speak to you
through nature.
I have been in awe of the beauty of the sky. I find myself
making comments about it daily and recently I realized that the sky has always
been beautiful…I just couldn’t see it. Just as Your life…you may see it as
insignificant, dull, painful, etc. But thank God that he has good thoughts
towards us. Thank God that his thoughts include us having abundance, a hope and
a future. God wants to reveal himself to
you through his creation; all you have to do is open your eyes. That my
friends, is 7 Degrees North.
*Note The pictures here were taken with my camera. The first picture was taken on a clear day in North Augusta, SC. The second one was taken in Atlanta, GA and the last one was taken in the Mountains of North Carolina. These pictures indicate instances where I heard God clearly speak to me through nature. Happy to share them with you!
Grace and Peace,
Kris
