The peacefulness of nature
There are few things in this world that can heal an out-of-control temper (I hope I don't sound like a tree hugger, for a tree hugger I am not), but for me nature is one of those things. At this point (I know, the article just started) I feel the need to clarify one thing. I have already said that I am not a tree hugger, but I am also not one of those people (I don't remember the proper name for them) for which nature serves as a religion, per sè. I look at nature in a different way. If I am angry, all I need is to take a walk in the woods. Watching the birds and the squirrels, the deer and the insects and looking at all of the trees and other plants just inspires me. For instance, last Saturday was just such a day. I awoke in a fine mood, but right off the day started off on a bad note. Not only did the day start on a bad note, but it kept getting worse. Finally in my exhasperation, without telling a soul, I headed out the door and back to the woods. The day was unusually cool and low in humidty (not to mention that there were no ticks or mosquitoes to disturb me), so it wasn't hard at all to spend quite a while back in the woods alone. On days like that I can sit for a long, long time on the bridge over the creek and never get bored with the scenery (after a blackbird darted down to the creek only a few feet from me and I started and almost fell off the bridge into the creek I am more careful). I can just sit and watch whatever passes by (or doesn't, in the case of trees) and marvel at the power of God who created all things.
Of course some atheist birders who seem to be authorities (at least in their own mind) on all things will say that I cannot be a bird watcher merely because of the fact that when I look at a bird I marvel at the marvelous God which created them. They, on the other hand, are much more 'scientific' and 'intelligent' because they marvel at the random process of evolution which happened to churn out the particular bird species which they are watching (I know, how absurd). But as a young-earth creationist, I am truly inspired when I look at God's creation and am in awe at what I see. You can't help but be inspired and lose you bad temper when out in God's creation. I will conclude with Jeremiah 10:12 (ESV):
"It is He who made the earth by His power,
who established the world by His wisdom,
and by His understanding stretched out the heavens."-Jeremiah 10:12, esv