God’s presence in nature is clearly displayed in the artistry with which He arranges the landscapes around us. It may be a life-size vista of rugged mountain peaks, a verdant forest, a deserted beach or a vast ocean in which we stand in awe. Or it could be a miniature collage of colors and shapes that we happen upon during our walks, pieces of the larger landscape arranged artfully for us to appreciate in a different way.
The first collage He placed in my path came while walking the beach on Nantucket Island. Perched on the wet sand, a white smooth stone about the size of my palm had washed up with the recent tide. A wave had placed a piece of lacey brown seaweed on top of the stone. This miniature painting of a tree was glistening in the sun awaiting my discovery. Soon I found other displays of stones, seaweed, driftwood and shells arrayed in what could only be described as collages up and down the beach.
Sometimes two objects are juxtaposed in an artful manner just for our benefit. It can be as simple as a seedpod that has fallen and now lies on the ground in an interesting way. A stick and a black walnut pair up to look like a scepter dropped by a wood elf. The other day, two sticks had fallen on the path making a perfect cross. The year before, a tree had snapped off in a storm and caught on another tree creating a cross. In another case, two leaves had fallen and caught on the side of a wooden fence making it appear as if they were growing out of the knothole.
Sometimes a sense of order or composition catches my eye, such as the intricate pattern of a flower blossom or a dewdrop tucked into new spring leaves sparkling like a diamond in the morning sun. One day as I was exiting the forest, I encountered a spray of branches at eye level laid out in a windowpane pattern. I felt like I was looking through a leaded glass window.
Within the larger landscape around you, there are smaller rooms on display. A fallen log that I pass every day has a lovely holly bush growing behind it and an old branch shaped like a sea serpent in front of it. I enjoy gazing at the combination of shape, color and texture every time I pass it. In the afternoon light, a vine climbing up a tree trunk looks like a large bird left its tracks walking up the tree. One day in winter, I found a spray of bright green groundcover growing in the crotch of an old tree. Another tree that had been cut down revealed a lovely flower pattern in its cross-section where fungi had invaded its core. Spalted wood is prized among woodworkers. Maybe someone will find the log from this tree and use it for a new creation.
The more sensitive you become to design in nature, the more you will come to recognize how often the Lord places these collages of color and shape before you to appreciate His artistry. You can train your eyes to discover them. Then you’ll enjoy the delight they inspire in you as well as the growing awe you develop for our Creator God.
Gaze at the photos here and in the gallery. You’ll see what I mean. Now go find them! God’s artwork awaits your fresh discovery.
“Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”
John 1:3 NIV
