The Sounds of Nature

Psalm 98:8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy.

The Sounds of Nature

The first movie I remember seeing in a theater was “The Sound of Music.” My parents took us to see it in a huge cinema in Detroit, an hour from our home – not something I ever remember happening before or after that day. I was very small – and the room was very full. The lights went out, and the screen lit up with an astonishing view of the Alps, that brought me immediately into a different world, feeling as though I had entered the story from the first second. The scene came in closer and closer until finally I could see that they were showing us a woman, standing on the top of the mountains, singing the words – “The Hills are Alive with the Sound of Music.” I didn’t know then that it was a verse of the Bible, come to life. What I knew, and what I would guess lots of other people knew as they saw this movie, was that I wanted to learn to listen more to the world that surrounded me. I wanted to hear the music that this woman was testifying to hearing – to be filled up with the sound of music as nature plays it right in front of us.

The sounds of the waves of the ocean as they touch the shore, quietly, or as a clap, can calm our spirits, and let us know that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Birds call and keep us company. Winds blow, breezes lightly let us know we are on a journey together. Animals make their own individual noises, being who they are in this breathtaking creation.

Today, may we let go of the distractions, and notice whatever nature we are close enough to experience. Let us breathe in the moment in front of us, the awe-inspiring creation that might just meet us exactly where we are and feed our souls.

Reflection Questions:

1) What nature is right around you?

2) What memories do you have of the natural world that fill you up?

3) Picture the waters clapping and the hills singing. What do you see?

Prayer:

Dear God, As we come to this day in our lives, help us be open to the gifts of nature – the sights, the sounds, the smells. May all our senses be open to take in the beauty in our corner of the world. In Jesus Name, Amen