Springtime In The Rockies
Spring is now upon us and what a beautiful time of year it is here in Norwood Colorado. I have never seen so many colors in one location. Elk, with their stately tan bodies, huge brown/black necks and muscular white hind quarters graze leisurely in fields that are bright green with new spring grass.
Behind them stand pure white, snow covered mountains rising majestically into the clearest, bluest sky I’ve ever seen. The blue sky is adorned with puffy white clouds that float slowly by like a child’s toy boat in a water puddle. Canadian geese in various shades of browns, blacks and whites fly overhead in their V-shaped pattern, honking rhythmically. They circle around and land gracefully on a pond filled with the greenish brown run off of the melting snow.
The sights, sounds and smells of God’s creation reveal the magnificence of God the creator. Norwood truly is a beautiful place, and we are blessed to be able to serve the Lord here at Norwood Christian Ranch.
When I walked outside this morning a herd of about a dozen deer quickly scattered as they heard me walking toward them. They got into the trees and stopped to look back at me to see if I was following them or just passing by. Once they decided I was not a threat to them they went back to grazing on the fresh grown grass popping up all over.
You may not have the pleasure of living in the Colorado Rocky Mountains like my family and I do, but wherever you live, I’m sure you are blessed with your own unique form of God’s beauty there where you are. Before moving to Colorado we lived in the high desert of Southern California for twenty years. We found that even the desert has its own unique beauty. Whether it was the California poppy fields, the gorgeous sunsets, the vast array of cacti, or the wild flowers, the beauty of God’s creation was there for those who looked for it.
The key to seeing God’s beauty wherever you are is to stop and look for it. Too often we rush through our day focused too much on getting from point A to point B that we don’t take time to see God’s handiwork all around us. We could all stand to take a little advice from Mac Davis, the singer/song writer from the 70s & 80s. As the Mac Davis song says, “You’ve got to stop and smell the roses, you’ve got to count your many blessings every day. You’re going to find your way to heaven is a rough and rocky road if you don’t stop and smell the roses along the way.”
This week take some time out to smell the roses. Look for God’s beauty in your surroundings. Look for God’s beauty in your children. Take time to be with them and appreciate the unique beauty God has designed into each one of them. You may be surprised to find how much beauty God has placed under your own roof that you never would have noticed if you had not taken time to look for it.
Pastor Ken
