Find Wonder by Exploring Nature during Summer

Exploring nature is a powerful way to discover wonder, and the summer season gives you many opportunities to do so. You can take a refreshing swim, enjoy picking and eating fresh fruits and vegetables, hike through fields of flowers, stargaze, and much more. How do you plan to explore nature during summer this year?

Every experience of wonder you encounter in nature is actually a connection with God. That’s because nature powerfully reflects the qualities of its Creator. The Bible points out in Romans 1:20: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

As I explore in my book Wake Up to Wonder, research consistently highlights the many well-being benefits of spending time in nature. Exploring nature can significantly relieve stress, help you get better sleep, and even reduce the risk of various diseases. The main spiritual way spending time in nature benefits your well-being is by inspiring you with awe. When you feel awe, you become aware of something greater than yourself, and that helps you notice the wonder of God’s work.

My Crosswalk.com article “5 Ways Nature Reveals the Wonder of God’s Character” explains how five common aspects of nature – the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers – each reveal different parts of God’s wonder:

• The sun reveals God’s life-giving power, hope, and wisdom.

• Water reveals God’s salvation work, clarity, purity, and mercy.

• Rocks reveal God’s unwavering strength, trustworthiness, and eternal yet dynamic nature.

• Trees reveal God’s wisdom, protection, and connected presence.

• Flowers reveal God’s order, creativity, and beauty.

Prayer and meditation outdoors in natural settings can strengthen your awareness of God’s presence with you. To help you connect with God in nature, I’ve created a series of blogs focusing on the sun, water, rocks, trees, and flowers. Each of these blogs features inspiring prayer and meditation ideas, along with relevant Bible verses, for your devotional time in nature.

You can also enjoy the daily devotionals for the summer season in my book, Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Season. I’ve included devotionals that relate to all sorts of ways you can discover God’s wonder in nature during summer. You’ll find experiences that help you enjoy the playful fun of summer, and ways to experience resilience and refreshment in the challenging heat of summer.

One of the easiest ways to experience wonder in nature is to take a wonder walk, which you can do anywhere – in your neighborhood, in a park, or anywhere else you want to explore. While you’re walking, pay close attention to your surroundings. Focus on one sense at a time: what you hear (birds, wind, etc.), what you see (colors, textures, etc.), what you smell (rain, flowers, etc.). Look for something that inspires you and reminds you of God’s wonderful design for creation and God’s wonderful love that sustains it. Say a prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to speak to you through what you experience. You’ll be sure to find fresh inspiration whenever you can take a wonder walk this summer.

Enjoy this beautiful season to the fullest!

Learn more about experiencing God’s wonder in Wake Up to Wonder (order the paperback or the e-book) and Wonder Through the Year: A Daily Devotional for Every Year (order the paperback or the e-book).