Al Kyte's Life Take-Aways

     

As far back as I can remember, I have loved what I have seen and found in nature.  It has formed the backdrop for so many of the activities I have been drawn to—fishing, birding, backpacking, native plant gardening, and the study of animals, even native bees and butterflies.  Somewhere along the way I became aware that the beauty of nature brought out the spiritual side of whoever I was becoming.  I believe that many people feel this relationship between nature and their spirit.  This came into sharp focus for me during my 20s when I began to follow worldly concerns rather than my spiritual beliefs.    

It was then that I was backpacking through the high Sierra with a couple of friends and found myself being treated to one breath-taking mountain scene after another.  I began to get the sense that the landscape before me had been set in place by a great designer.  This response was like that of the astronomers who have marveled at the apparent intricate design of the celestial bodies in space.  For me it was as if a master artist had lovingly created that beauty to touch me in my deepest place.  On that trip I sensed that God was reminding me He was still there and nudging me to turn back to Him.  I did so—this time to stay. 

That mountain experience reminded me of a scripture I had read.  I found it again in Romans 1:20.  Essentially it says to me, ‘Our invisible God is clearly seen in his creations’.  How can He be invisible, yet clearly seen?  We don’t see His face, but we do see one of His great attributes—His beauty laid out before for us in unending variety.

For me, experiencing the beauty in nature is like going to a gallery and being overwhelmed by a masterpiece that seems to communicate something of who I am back to me.  I sense that oneness with the artist.  It is apparently enough for some people to appreciate the beauty of the creation.  I have wanted more than that.  I long to get to know the creator of that beauty and try to better understand the oneness we share.  That is true of me whether in a gallery or enjoying the majestic “paintings” I see out in nature.       

This beauty in nature and the oneness I feel there is particularly important to me when facing life’s most difficult moments.  During such times it helps to remove myself from man-made things for awhile and find a beautiful natural setting.  I find it easier to feel God’s presence there and begin to see my circumstance from His perspective.  At such times I am thankful that Jesus brings a personal dimension to our relationship and has promised to be with us whatever we’re going through.                                          .