Two Books to Read this Season
I was so pleasantly surprised at how related two seemingly random books that I’ve been reading lately are. The first is Sacred Belonging by Kat Armas. The first section of this devotion-style book focuses on experiencing God through His creation. The realization that God speaks through the life cycle of flowers, the change in seasons, even in animal behavior, has been one that I have experienced firsthand over the past few couple of years as I have learned how to cultivate, respect, and find solace in my tiny sliver of nature. Kat shares thought-provoking essays based on her experiences with added theological perspectives that remind us of how we are meant to connect with and learn from nature. My little jardin has been like a worship center and seminary for my soul so this resonated deeply with me. With our God being so intentional, why wouldn't His fingerprints be all over His creation? Why wouldn’t we be able to catch glimpses of His character and marvel at His creativity and love by observing nature? This book is written so beautifully and has given me much to ponder.
I also recently started The Garden Within by Dr. Anita Phillips. The Garden Within is about experiencing healing and improving our mental health by understanding and embracing our emotions. As someone who feels deeply but has also spent a lot of time shaming my emotions, this book is a helpful and liberating guide. Dr. Anita came upon such rich wisdom about our mental health and God’s will for our emotional well-being by looking at the structure of a plant. I won’t give it all away so you can read for yourself except to share that there was a part about a question that turned to the realization that I loved. She wrote, “Creating the heavens and earth wasn’t just God preparing a fabulous place for Adam and Eve? I can understand things about who God is by studying the things God made?” Ay, si! A resounding SI, Dr. Anita!
Our modern world seems to be careening toward edging the natural world out as we continually build and develop on wildlands, deplete our natural resources, and get lost in technology. I am so grateful for books like these that remind us of the inner sacred connection that can be found outside. It is so important to stop and look around. Observe the natural world. Be quiet and listen to the birds, watch the bees go about their work, experience a sunrise, and follow the life cycle of plants and flowers. The Bible is full of language that uses nature as a way to illustrate the things of God. He wants to speak personally and profoundly to you through His creation.
How do you enjoy spending time communing with nature? I’d love to hear about it.
