Go into nature…

…and let it teach you.

Come forth into the light of things, let Nature be your teacher. 
William Wordsworth

Believe one who knows: you will find something greater in woods than in books.  Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from masters.
Saint Bernard de Clairvaux

Whenever I have found myself stuck in the ways I relate to things, I return to nature. It is my principal teacher, and I try to open my whole being to what it has to say. 
Wynn Bullock

Today I found this sweet, little, white violet. As I examined it, I was struck by the tiny purple lines within. As I looked at the single, purple lines reaching right and left, and the grouping of lines that fanned out below, I was struck by the image of a tiny dancer. As I held it carefully, its petals moved with the whisper of the wind. And then it spoke…

All of creation dances. 

The tiniest of dancers swayed and twirled as the wind of God’s Spirit blew through the trees, dancing to the tune of Creation’s Song, birds singing their glorious praise. The God of All Creation dances over us with rejoicing and singing, and, if we allow ourselves the freedom, we get to join in the heavenly dance with Him.

And yet…
can you see how this little bloom is already wilting?
Disconnected from its Source, it cannot live long.
It must stay connected to be nourished,
to bloom, to live, to thrive.

I want to stay connected, Lord. Thank you for this tiny reminder to dance with you and stay connected with you.

Jody Thomae © 2019 All Rights Reserved

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Jody Thomae is the author of God’s Creative Gift—Unleashing the Artist in You and The Creator’s Healing Power—Restoring the Broken to Beautiful, both in-depth, interactive devotional books that are part of the Bible Studies to Nurture the Creative Spirit Within series and serve as resources for creative Christians, artists, and lovers of beauty and worship. Jody has been involved in worship arts ministry since 1997, serving as worship arts ministry pastor, worship leader and creative arts director, and is a guest lecturer on creativity, embodiment, and spirituality with Healing Care Ministries and HCM International. Her passion is for the revelation of God to be made more real through the prophetic use of the arts in church and the use of creativity in formational and healing ministry. It is her desire to portray the message of Christ’s desperate and unfailing love for His people to help sustain the hearts of the broken and weary. She is particularly interested in the reclamation of the body in the healing of trauma and works in the area of embodiment with survivors of abuse, addiction, and trauma. Her life verse is Isaiah 50:4.

Her books are available through Amazon. Signed copies are available for purchase through Square where her resources are available most affordably (and in bulk amounts for your creative ministry team or group study). Jody has also recorded a devotional CD, Song of the Beloved, which is available through Square, iTunes, YouTube, Spotify, and other music outlets.