“Come forth into the light of things. Let nature be your teacher.” William Wadsworth. Light plays such a large role in our faith. God lights the world with his love and grace and when we believe in his commandments we’re filled with the light of God’s goodness. God lights the way in stormy times with his beacon of hope, guiding us into the light through the darkness. God wants us to bring his light and love to those who are in darkness, bringing them into his kingdom.

I love nature and nature, just like God, has been my solace when my life has been plunged into distress and grief. The beautiful sunsets comfort my heart and give me promises of glorious days ahead, inspiring me, strengthening my faith in God’s grace. The sunsets touch my soul and remind me that God is good and true.

The songbirds singing lift my spirits with their yard symphonies and their plumage in a myriad of colors give me thoughts of the wondrous watercolor palettes and paint brushes of God and Mother Nature. The birds give me so much joy and calm my thoughts, inviting me to attend church in nature’s cathedral.

I watch the butterflies cheerfully travel around the yard, stopping on the zinnias, stretching their wings, warming them in the golden sunshine, ballet dancing on their tiny black legs as they feast on the nectar. The butterflies teach me perseverance and let me know each day can be full of sunshine with faith in God’s love. Even with 75 percent of its wings gone the butterfly believes it can fly and so it does, soaring off in the day’s beauty. Even with the knowledge of how brief their life will be, butterflies inspire me with their joy in being alive, making each moment count as if there were no tomorrow. We should have that much faith, knowing with God’s help we can ascend to the heavens.

God created heaven and earth. All the creatures in nature were designed and colored with God’s hands. He chose to give us a wonderful world and his fingerprints are on all of the world’s wonders. Psalm 19:4 reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.”

God uses nature to tell us his story. In the quiet of the early morning, the beauty of the sun rising is proof of his handiwork, a love song and a testament to his love for us. Being in nature inspires us and brings us closer to God, restores our spirituality. When I sit quietly in my porch swing, watching the birds and butterflies, I feel just as close to God as I did visiting the majestic cathedrals in England, the colorful birds reminding me of the cathedrals’ beautiful stained glass windows.

Bible scripture says God “speaks to us during storms, wind, earthquakes and fire, when we’re sitting under trees, and in nature when everything is quiet.” Be mindful of God’s presence in nature and learn to listen when he speaks.

“We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature — trees, flowers, grass — grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls.” — Mother Teresa