God’s Generosity in Nature
Grounding Our Generosity in God’s Generosity
Reflection By Scott Stoner
You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills, … From your lofty abode you water the mountains; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.
- Psalm 104:10, 13
Nature has been referred to as God’s first sacred text. Before the sacred texts of the Bible, there was and continues to be the holy text of God’s creation.
Remembering that the root of the word generosity means “to give birth” or “to give life to,” we see in nature the ongoing life-giving generosity of our Creator. One of the signs of how God is present in creation is the response that almost all people have to spiritual experiences they describe in nature. Creation pulsates with the generous energy of God. Like fish who live in the ocean, we live and move and have our being in the abundance of God’s self-giving love.
As with other acts of generosity—whether from God or others—it is all too easy to take such generosity for granted. Stopping to pay attention to the beauty of a butterfly, a bird’s song, a majestic mountain, or the smell of the air after a recent rainfall are simple everyday spiritual practices that reawaken us to the presence of the Divine surrounding us.
When we pause and truly pay attention, the ground we are standing on is always holy ground. Nature’s generosity is constant and unconditional—the sun shines on the just and the unjust, the rain falls on both the grateful and the ungrateful.
Making it Personal: When have you felt close to God in nature? What is something simple you might do or pay more attention to today that will help you connect with God through nature? Consider spending at least five minutes outdoors today (or by a window if necessary) simply observing God’s generosity in creation, noticing what you see, hear, smell, or feel.