The Joy of...God's Creation!

I've just come home from a beautiful day at the beach with my kids...the first beach day of summer! The beauty of God's creation never ceases to amaze me; whether it be the gentle swells of the ocean rolling onto the sun bleached sand, the mesmerizing sight of a full moon, the cascading power of a mountain waterfall or even the beauty of a backyard garden filled with colorful birds and butterflies. God made this vast and varied earth for us to explore and enjoy as we reflect on his amazing handiwork and give him glory.

If one truly looks with a discerning eye at the complexity and splendor of the world around us, there is no denying the existence of a creator God. In fact, the Bible refers to this innate and undeniable understanding of one greater than ourselves in Romans 2:20. It says: " For since the creation of the world, God's invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature- have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." In other words, no one can see the awesome beauty of God's creation and not know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is a God and that he designed this amazing and intricate universe. And in Psalm 19:1 it says: "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands". Even creation itself trumpets God's omnipotence and glory.

I have had some of my most reflective and meaningful times with the Lord when outdoors enjoying his creation in any number of  beautiful, peaceful settings. There have been times when something as simple as a walk around my neighborhood under a clear, unclouded, deep blue sky has given rise to tears of gratitude in my eyes. I often praise him for his creation and the ability to enjoy it.

What do I mean by "the ability to enjoy it"? Well, there are many who are so hard at work, either by choice or by necessity, that they do not have even a moment to pause and enjoy the beauty around them. There are many who live in crowded, treeless, big cities where "getting close to nature" takes enormous effort. And, there are those who are physically unable to venture outside or travel too far away to see some of the glorious sights in this great land. Those of us who can, are truly blessed.

Take time to go outside this week and look around you. Take a walk. Go for a bike ride. Work in the garden. How about a trip to the beach, the springs, the lake, or...your own backyard? Try to really see the artistic genius of our God. Meet with him...praise him...thank him.

The Joy of...Serving Others!

When was the last time you did something for someone who could in no way repay your service or return the favor? Someone helpless or disadvantaged in some way? Look around you. There are hurting, lonely people everywhere...many who cannot help themselves.

Unfortunately, our motivation for helping others is often impure. We help because we want to be thought of as generous and service-minded. We want  people to think of us as extraordinary Christians. We want  to hear our name mentioned from the pulpit or see it printed in the paper. Or.. we just serve with the understanding that whoever we help will repay the favor at some point.

The world is all about volunteerism these days...from high school students working for service hours in order to graduate , to Oprah's "Angel Network" which millions of people bought into when her show was on the air. It's cool to volunteer...for the right cause, that is! But again, what is the motivation behind the volunteerism? And, is it being done in the name of Jesus Christ?

When Christians volunteer, it should be with the goal of sharing not only the love of Christ, but the gospel of Christ with those whom they serve. Otherwise, it is futile.

Do you realize that there is a small army of humble and tireless volunteers in our churches who serve quietly and without fanfare carrying out the mission of Jesus in the world? Look around...check out the "We need people to..." section in your bulletin...hang out at the church for a few hours during the week...talk to some of the senior citizens in your church. These volunteers are sometimes hard to find...intentionally so...as they do not want accolades or recognition. But, they are there. They are raking and weeding in the church yard, stuffing bulletins in the office, driving the elderly to appointments, visiting the sick in the hospital and delivering flowers to the many nursing home residents and home-bound people on the church rolls.

My daughter and I recently had the privilege of riding along with an amazing, energetic (we could hardly keep up with her) and godly woman who volunteers at our church. Her name is Bobbi. I had recently discovered that Bobbi was involved in delivering flowers to home bound and sick people in our congregation and felt led to help out with this ministry. When I found out that Bobbi was one of the volunteers who did this, I was thrilled. I have long admired her from afar as a godly, joyful and faithful servant of God and a prayer warrior. I wanted the opportunity to "shadow" and learn from her. In addition, I had felt a real leading from God to get more involved in ministry with my daughter. I wanted her to develop a heart for helping others who can't help themselves.