There is something about being outside that fills my soul. Whether it is sitting on my back patio soaking in the sun or backpacking through the wilderness of Colorado, I’m more alive outside than when I’m inside.
I enjoy sitting on the couch watching Netflix as much as the next person, but even in the dead of winter, when I leave the indoors for outdoors, where I believe God intended us to be, it’s as if there are extra jolts of electricity running through my veins.
When God created Adam and Eve he placed them in the Garden, not in a nice home in the suburbs with central air and heating and blackout curtains. God was in the garden just as he is in the sunrises and sunsets today.
I don’t mean that God is literally “in the sun” as some religions do, but I do believe that God created the sun and that he speaks to us through his magnificent creation.
Each year I try to do a solo backpacking trip. Just me, God and nature for a week. I do these trips for many reasons, but one big one is to connect with God. When you are alone, miles from civilization, looking up at more stars than sky, it’s hard not to come face to face with your place in the world.
When traversing high alpine ridges floating through the sky, you see a world that few get to see; that is a private gift from God. When bushwhacking through dense forest where a wrong step could mean disaster, I am reliant on God to keep me safe and guide me back to the trail.
And when the sun is setting and the last warm rays of light dance across your campsite, you can sense God in those moments and see his goodness manifested in nature.
When I emerge from the woods, dirty and smelly and in need of a shave, I find it hard to re-adjust to our concrete world at times. The crowds in the stores are suffocating, the glow of the smartphones are blinding and the noise from the television is deafening.
While nature opens my eyes to God and his majesty, often society closes me off from God and inhibits me from seeing what’s right in front of my face.
This summer, consider taking time out from the hustle and bustle of life to go outside with no other intention than to enjoy it. Be it a walk in the park or a camping trip in the woods, see what God has to say to you through his creation when we turn off the devices and listen.
David Young has been a member of Faith for five years. He is a public relations communication specialist with a background in journalism, and he serves on Faith’s writing team. He loves creative writing and being able to share captivating stories with the church.
David is a Colorado native who enjoys climbing Colorado’s 14ers, fly fishing, backpacking and mountain biking.