One way that I connect with God is through His creation. As I go for bike rides through the forests and fields around my house, I thank God for the wonderful world He has created for us to enjoy. As I do street outreach in downtown Ottawa at this time of year, I get to watch the sunset behind the Parliament buildings and see all the beautiful flowers planted by the city each spring.
Did you ever notice how many different shades of green exist in nature? As the grass starts to return to life (that is another story in itself) the dark green is different from the leaves that are starting to appear on the trees. And speaking of trees, one of my favourite seasons is autumn. Do you ever think to thank God for leaves that change colour? Instead of leaves changing quickly to brown and falling off before winter arrives they are left on the trees for a few more weeks for us to enjoy a brilliant display of colour.
And in the spring, out of those fallen and decaying leaves beautiful white, pink and burgundy trilliums spring up to cover the forest floor. The spring season brings me hope as I see more people on the street staying out later, enjoying the warm nights. As I participate in Street Outreach I look forward to seeing familiar faces that we have missed over the cold winter evenings as they have found places to keep warm.
In this time of lockdown and discouragement, especially for the homeless, when many of our usual enjoyments have been taken away, we can all try to appreciate the simple things that bring us enjoyment. Nature is free, and everyone can bask in nature’s beauty at this time of year. The warm summer evenings filled with the sights and smells of nature allow us to meet and greet many people in Jesus’ name, as we seek to meet needs and build relationships.
Genesis 1:1 – “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”
~Warren, Events & Promotions Coordinator
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