Breath of Life

Spring is finally here. My girls went from wearing winter coats on Sunday, to no coats today. . .crazy South Dakota weather. Today we also celebrate Earth Day. It is still a little early to plant anything so we may have to just go for a nature walk to celebrate the day. It is supposed to be 80 degrees here today so it will be a great day to be outside.

It amazes me every time I think about creation and God speaking it all into existence. I love the verse in Genesis 2:7, "the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being."

All the world and everything in it was created by God. Every living thing is alive because we have been given the breath of life. When I take in the beauty that surrounds me I have no doubt that it could only be from God.

One of my favorite places outside is right on my front porch. Fortunately, we have a very quiet neighborhood. No one lives across the street from my house so I can sit out there and just enjoy the fresh air. It is one of the places that I feel the closest to God. I don't have any beautiful scenery, (I am staring at an empty swimming pool right now), but it is quiet and I can hear the birds and not a lot of traffic.

I have never been a huge nature lover. My wonderful cousin did give me a little appreciation of it in college when she would run off to pick wildflowers or hug a tree. But as I continue on my faith journey God continues to amaze me with His creation. In just a week the grass is starting to turn green and soon the trees will start to bloom.

This morning in my quiet time I was reading about Noah. After the flood, God made a covenant to him. Genesis 9:16 says, "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."

Have you ever pointed out a rainbow to a child. They get so excited to see it. If only we could have that same excitement. God gives us the rainbow as a gift and as a remembrance of His promise. When Noah saw rain clouds in the sky after the flood, he did not get nervous because he knew that God had promised to never destroy the earth by flood again.

I challenge you to spend some time outside today. Celebrating Earth Day. Celebrating God's beautiful creation. Be alive and remember that God breathed you and I into existence with the breath of life.