Being Thankful for the Beauty of God's vast Creation

I’ve done a lot of traveling this year. The last trip I took was to Colorado. As I was visiting with family there, the quiet serenity of nature put me in a state of peace. The plains mixed with the mountains as a backdrop were breathtaking. I enjoyed every minute of my visit. I was in good company as well. I hadn’t seen my cousin in over 10 years, but it was like we had never been apart. It was a joy to see her, her husband and the kids all grown up. Time passes by too fast.

As I think about stress and health, I think it’s a good idea to get out of your surroundings as much as you can and journey to another place to appreciate all that God has created. It’s refreshing to breathe different air, to take in the beauty of the mountains, or see new cities. You seem to forget about the agenda, the appointments, or the phone calls when your on vacation. I promise, all will wait and the important things will still be there when you get back!

If money is an issue, you don’t have to go far to see different sites and find the relief you need. You could visit a new park, hike a trail, or find your nearest river and canoe down it. If you are in the Atlanta area, North Georgia is full of God’s beauty to take in. I think the most important thing that the exercise of putting yourself in another setting does is that it puts you in a state of thankfulness. Your either thankful for the moment you are in, or you are thankful for what you have waiting for you when you get back home. So either way, this exercise can work for you.

The exercise of thankfulness is important because it can pull you out of yourself and any pity parties you’ve been having about how terrible life is, or how terrible he or she is. There’s always beauty to be thankful for. It’s undeniable. I think it’s why the apostle Paul said to dwell on these things: “…whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Whatever we take in, we put out. So to fill your mind with the beauty of God’s creation is therapy for the soul!