Lake Morning

The morning view from the screened-in porch.

 I'm sitting in a most beautiful place. It is a small, screened-in porch that overlooks a plant-filled field, young trees, a long lake, and a round hill-top in the background. Birds chirp freely all around me, and the morning sunlight is beginning to rise. The air is cool, and there is a sense of peace here. This is a little slice of heaven, and similar to other times when I have ventured to a places like this, I wonder why I don't position myself in nature's beauty more often. 

I so wish our world would embrace nature's beauty and wonder more. I wish we would look for ways to allow people to enjoy these pristine places more often. Too often, our time and efforts are focused on building and making spaces that don't include the great beauty and wonder of nature--too often we disregard what nature-filled and human-made spaces of beauty do to our spirits and our will to live as a peaceful, collaborative, and well-directed people. 

I imagine that we forget to direct our life ships in this direction, in part, for reasons of evolution. While nature inspires, for a long time in human history, nature was both a friend and enemy to people. In many ways, people of old had to contend with nature's drama and contempt to stay alive while they also looked to nature's bounty for survival too. Now, we've created all kinds of ways to combat nature's threats, but we haven't done as well when it comes to maximizing nature's bounty. Our human-made world too often wrecks natural spaces and beauty, rather than elevate that potential.

On our way up to the lake, we did what has become a custom. We looked up local farms to purchase the food we'll need for the multi-day stay. We found a beautiful, nearby farm that has been in the same family for generations. We purchased lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, local cheeses, and even some grass-fed hamburger. It was a joy to meet the farmers and get a taste of the local culture too, and soon we'll enjoy the fruits of their labor and the bounty of their beautiful farm. 

I love the inspiration that nature brings and I love the vision that it feeds my mind for the days, months, and years ahead. I am thankful to all that advocate for environmental protections and recreation--this is a positive direction for our lives and future.