How To Love God Out Of Door

According to Gary Thomas', we can love God in the natural settings. We can draw close to God in the outdoors. We must first create a space of time, quiet, and isolation before we can truly see God. We must resurrect the deadened elements of perception. Saint Bonaventure, a disciple of Francis of Assisi, suggested a grid through which we may "school" ourselves to seek God out of doors.

The followings are some suggestions:

1. Consider the greatness of creation - mountains, sky, and oceans - that clearly portrays the immensity of the power, wisdom, and goodness of the triune God.
2. Look at the multitude of creation - a forest has more plant and animal life than you could examine in a lifetime and shows us how God is capable of doing many things at once. Those who wonder how God can hear so many prayers uttered simultaneously have been out of the forest too long!
3. Examine the beauty of creation - see the beauty of rocks and their shapes, the beauty of colors and shades, the beauty of individual elements (like trees), and the beauty of overall composition (like forests). God's beauty cannot be revealed through one form, but is so vast and infinite it can fill an entire world with wonder.

The outdoors speaks of God's abundance. For the true Christian naturalist, creation is a sanctuary, a holy place that invites you to prayer. See how you can awaken your soul with creation. As you commute to work or the grocery store, consider driving a few extra blocks or even miles if it means you can pass through a country road. Take an extra moment to look around you and appreciate what God has made. Decide that traveling will be even more important to you than reaching the next place. Make it an event!