No matter how many times I see our old cottonwood tree, I am always struck by it’s grace and beauty.

When I rest on the grass and gaze up through it’s enormous towering canopy, I feel so small yet so secure and connected to the beautiful sky above. I love the way the sun illuminates each delicate leaf. I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the wind rushing through it’s branches and it takes me back to my childhood and summers spent at my grandparent’s ranch in the Uinta Mountains.

Higher and Higher

Over the years, I have watched my children climb and laugh and swing from it’s massive boughs.  It makes me happy to see them enjoying the same things I did at their age.  My cousins would climb with me, always pushing me higher and higher.  Once I found a great resting perch, I would pretend to be in an old pirate ship in the middle of the ocean or in a rocket ship cruising through outer space.

“Trees” by Joyce Kilmer

In 1913, Joyce Kilmer penned the famous words, “I think that I shall never see a poem as lovely as a tree.” Kilmer was expressing mankind’s inability to replicate the beauty found in nature. He wrote, “A tree that looks at God all day and lifts her leafy arms to pray. A tree that may in summer wear a nest of robins in her hair… Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree.” I love those words! Kilmer’s critics claimed that his poetry was too simple and sentimental. No wonder I love it so much! I love the simple, sentimental rhythm of nature and the plants and animals on our farm.

Soak It In

Each morning I walk to the barn, tell the chickens good morning and listen to their gentle coos. Next I wander through the garden and feel the sun on my shoulders.  I get so excited seeing each new blossom or berry or fruit!  I listen to the quiet songs of the birds calling to each other.  Surrounded by all this beauty, I’m overcome by feelings of God’s love for us, His children. He wants us to be good stewards of the Earth and care for all His creatures. He wants us to enjoy these gifts. They are all around us. Look for them! Look for them in sunsets and bird songs and rainstorms. Stop what you are doing. Soak it in. Pause to connect with the grace and beauty of nature and most of all, remember you are loved more than you can comprehend.