Further Insights

Reading about nature is fine, but if a person walked the woods and listened carefully, he can learn more than what is in books, for they speak with the voice of God. —George Washington Carver

In addition to the natural inspiration we find through nature, there are also important lessons to be learned. As one anonymous author put it, “Earth and sky, wind and trees, rivers and fields, the mountains and the sea. All are excellent schoolmasters and teach some of us more than we could ever learn from books.” Here are some of the “lessons” I have learned.

Patience

There is a way that nature speaks, that land speaks. Most of the time we are simply not patient enough, quiet enough, to pay attention to the story. —Linda Hogan

Discovering that Mother Nature moves at her own pace, in her own time makes us realize that man’s sense of time has little or no meaning in the natural world. Nature photographers spend much of their lives waiting and wishing for the “right light,” the wind to stop, or the perfect scene. Because these wishes are not always granted, we must also learn to enjoy the experience as much as the results. Understanding that the journey is as important as the destination is a valuable lesson. As renowned French photographer Claire Flanders said in an interview on National Public Radio, “We often talk about capturing something on film, but I have come to learn that I’m not capturing anything; rather I’m receiving whatever Nature has to offer at that moment.” Famous photographer Minor White expressed a similar philosophy by stating that the question is not, “what will I take today, but rather what will I be given?” With this perspective in mind, see what lessons in patience you can learn from nature.

Renewal

Nature often holds up a mirror so we can see more clearly the ongoing processes of growth, renewal, and transformation in our lives. —Mary Ann Brussat

How can anyone experience the changing seasons and not appreciate the cycle of renewal that is demonstrated through this process? It mirrors the cycles of change in our own lives, which like nature, can sometimes be unpredictable. The rhythms of the seasons also reflect the sense of ebb and flow and peaks and valleys, which we all experience. I am fortunate to live where the cycle of the seasons is obvious and dictates much of our daily routine. This connection of cycles between man and nature is a reminder for us to find renewal just as our natural world must do. As John Burroughs said, “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order.” May you find a sense of renewal as you experience, not just observe, nature’s own cycles.

Faith

Nature never taught me that there exists a God of glory and of infinite majesty. I had to learn that in other ways. But nature gave the word “glory” a meaning for me. —C.S. Lewis

A basic understanding of biology and science alone cannot explain the wonder of nature. I cannot experience the gifts found in our natural world without sensing the spirit of a Higher Power. Radiant sunrises and sunsets, bright full moons, awesome rainbows, flowing water, colorful spring wildflowers, and magnificent creatures, all speak to me in the language of the Creator! One of my favorite quotes by Thomas Browne is, “Nature is the art of God.” Surely, the Creator is the greatest artist of all!

These lessons of life are available to us all in the most magnificent classroom ever conceived if we are open and receptive. George Washington Carver said, “I love to think of nature as an unlimited broadcasting station through which God speaks to us every hour, if we will only tune in.”

May you find wonderful opportunities to “tune in” and receive inspiration through your experiences with our natural world.