Maple Leaf Parish Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston (and Lenora) United Methodist Churches
By Pastor Mark Woodward
Maple Leaf Parish Churches: Spring Valley: Faith, Cherry Grove, Fountain, Preston
(and Lenora)
One evening toward the end of the day, I saw a glorious sight as the final rays of sunlight were shining across the valley and giving radiant beams of light to bright red and orange trees in the distance. The blue sky, dark pines and glowing colors of red and gold joined together to offer a moment of inspiration at the end of the day. Soon the sun would set and another day would be over. It was a holy moment as the rays of sunshine shone on the distant trees. I stood there for a moment letting the beauty soak into my soul. I remembered a book written by Booth Tarkington called “Penrod,” where one of the main characters pondered the final rays of sunshine at the end of the day.
The glory of God is revealed in the beauty of autumn days and in the beauty of the changing seasons. Each day shows us the glory of God. Yet, all too often we focus on the negative rather than on the positive – I am guilty of this myself. The glory of God is revealed in the simple, inspiring beauty all around us. And we are called upon to think about the positive blessings in our lives.
When I was growing up, my dad was the principal of a junior high school in the Twin Cities area. He was an avid outdoors man who loved fishing, canoeing and the beauty of nature. He
Photo by Mark Woodward
was also a Christian who spoke of his faith and lived it. On his office wall there in his school were beautiful pictures of nature and the outdoors. But, on the wall near an artist’s portrayal of Jesus was a quote from the Bible: “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)
On that autumn day as the sun was setting and as the light radiated off those far off trees, glowing with radiance of red and orange… stood in the quiet at the end of the day and allowed the glory of God to flood my soul. It truly was a holy, blessed moment. Yes, the beauty of autumn reveals the glory of God, but so do winter, spring and summer. The glory of God is all around us.
Take a moment and allow God to speak through the beauty and wonder of nature… allow God to speak to you. The glory of God is revealed in countless ways and God wants to be a part of our lives every day. In quietness and confidence I felt my spiritual strength renewed as I experienced the amazing beauty all around me.
Thank you, Jesus for your amazing love… your redeeming love that reaches out to reveal the glory of God!