What Can Nature Do For You?

I have been fortunate in my life. Happy and fortunate. I have spent a lot of time out of doors, in the woods, in the mountains, by the sea--in Heavenly Father's beautiful nature.
I don't fret over weather, there's nothing I can do to change it anyway. And nature is lovely any time of year and in all kinds of weather.

Last night we had the most ferocious thunder storm I have experienced whilst living in the Duck and Cherry. The grounds outside shook, the house seemed to move as thunder bellowed through the thick woodlands and lightening over a period of four hours lit up the sky. There was power and majesty in the storm. I went outside with Hector, the Wheaten Terrier, between 2 and 3 am and watched and listened. I have never felt that way before during a storm--and I have been through snowstorms in cold countries and several tropical typhoons in Okinawa, but it was as if being in the middle of the unmeasurable strength of earth and sky, the roar of clouds crashing together, and the knowledge that the God I believe in can calm any storm, made me feel both humble and excited. I was part of the storm, still I felt safe.

I went back to bed, brought a worried Wheaten Terrier with me, and listened to the pounding thunder while thinking about relatives on my family tree with named like Thor, Thora, and Thorine. Mighty names.
Arnfinn pretended to sleep. I knew how impossible it would be for him to get the needed rest as we were right in the middle of Thor's ruckus, and tried not to disturb him.

What can nature do for you? Whenever I go to quiet mountain areas, or sit alone by the sea listening to waves roll in, I keep thinking that nature must surely be a healer, a medicinal remedy, a refuge from sorrow and pain. If people living in large cities could experience a day on a snow capped mountain or hike through bush and greenery, far away from bustling streets and noise, taking in the colors and scenery--I believe tension can be replaced by calm, negative feelings by love of the creation, and gratefulness and love fill a heart and mind.

It does that to me.

Photos from a trip to the Norwegian mountains in last week.

If you take the time to look, evidence of critters are everywhere. This moss covered rock (above) had at least five entrances to hiding places and homes for little animals.