For the Beauty of the Earth

One of my favorite hymns of all time...

For the beauty of the earth,
For the beauty of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise,

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon and stars of light,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth, and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise.

For thy Church which evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love,
Lord of all, to Thee we raise, 

This our hymn of grateful praise.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to enjoy it in a unique way - on a trail ride through a state park. We rode up and down steep ravines and hills, through forest full of various trees and vines and, unfortunately, brambles and briers. Each rider was able to bond with his or her animal as they trusted each other. We were all able to appreciate one another's company. Some of us made new friends. Though it was hot, it was not as miserable riding under the cover of the trees as in the open areas under the sun. I, surprisingly, made it out with only a single scratch. Call it my badge marking my first experience at extreme trail riding. It was amazing.

On Sunday, we had the pleasure of a visit from two of my cousins. One of them has a seven month old son who is cute as can be and at such a fun age for all of us who want to hold and cuddle with him. The other has a three week old son, so tiny and fragile, but with an amazing set of lungs. He is just precious. He stayed with his momma, either sleeping soundly or nursing. Ah, babies...our God is incredible.

Yesterday evening, walking through the pasture to check Bella, I walked through a "swarm" of dragonflies. They were zipping through the air so fast and in all directions. I halfway expected one to bump into me, but they never did. They just shifted their flight patterns around me. I saw a couple sparrows attempting to catch dragonflies for dinner...they would take flight, make a couple swoops, then land on the fence to rest and watch for a minute before their next attempt. The scent of our freshly baled hay was heavy on the air. I will never grow tired of smelling that. Later, I saw a small fawn dash away as it heard my dad and I driving up in the Cub. While tossing some hay to the cows in that patch, Daddy noticed a new calf on the treeline, the momma standing guard and alert to any possible danger to her baby, only hours old. A sturdy bull calf. Daddy is guessing about 85 lbs. He did not get to weigh it as the momma urged her baby into the trees as soon as she saw him coming. The love between mother and baby is so wonderful to see. The nurturing, a natural instinct planned and created by God, displayed so beautifully when the momma licks her baby dry, urges it to stand and nurse, protectively urges it to move to the cover of the woods when she feels it is in danger, whether it actually is or not...I never tire of watching momma cows with their calves. Back at the house, I was able to briefly enjoy the sound of water dripping from the trees. It had rained some and there were several places I noticed still had water droplets on the leaves. I thought about shaking a branch to watch it fall, but I did not. It is much more enjoyable just hearing it fall in its own natural pattern.

Life. Nature. The intricacy of creation. I am in awe. I am thankful. Who else could be more qualified to hold my life in the palm of His hand? No one. Nothing. He is it. All I need. 

I praise You, my heavenly Father, for everything You are... I thank You for sending Your Son, my Lord Jesus, to bridge the gap between us... I thank You for planting Your Spirit within me to guide me through my journey.