Looking At Nature
Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air…
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. - Matthew 6:25-28
Sometimes the most radical thing we can do is to stop and do nothing. In the midst of the bossiness and busyness of our world, just stopping and being present can feel revolutionary. Perhaps it is.
Jesus invites us to stop and watch the birds. He invites us to stop and watch the wildflowers grow. There’s a beauty in the world that helps to heal us from our anxiety.
Can you take 2 minutes - just 2 minutes! - and watch the grass grow in front of your apartment or in the park nearby? Can you take 2 minutes to watch the birds fly around? You might need to time yourself to make sure you go the distance, because it’s actually hard to slow down enough to watch and listen.
Afterwards, reflect on what it was like to really look, to really watch the natural world. Can you feel the hints of healing breaking in?