by Diane Cretin
I love the creation story, a story of how God systematically created the universe and everything in it. Read these verses from Genesis, chapter 1:
6 And God said, “Let there be a vault between the waters to separate water from water.” 7 So God made the vault and separated the water under the vault from the water above it. And it was so. 8 God called the vault “sky.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the second day.
I love science but I do not believe that a "big bang" (my brain says "explosion") could create the detailed beauty that I see in nature. Nature, to me, is a prime example of God's love for us. I look at the diversity and vibrant colors and see God's handprint all over it.
God created a sky full of beauty. Look at the planets, images from the Hubble telescope, the aurora borealis, as well as sunsets and rainbows if you need evidence of God's handiwork.
The beauty is stunning!
Returning to Genesis, chapter 1, we read:
11 Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. 12 The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening, and there was morning—the third day.
So God created all of our plants. From the beauty of our flowers to our trees and vegetation. Look at the colors of the pink dogwood tree and sweetgum tree leaves in the fall; incredibly gorgeous. I often say to myself, "God did not have to make things beautiful." But the fact that God chose to make creation intricate and beautiful reinforces my knowledge that I am loved.
Even when I walk around my yard or spend time in my garden during the summer, I am thankful for the beauty and diversity that God made. I so enjoy our roses as well as the borage I planted last summer.
Continuing on with chapter 1 of Genesis, we read:
20 And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” 21 So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day.
Look at the awesome colors on these creatures.
I was so happy several times last summer to find this beautiful visitor in my garden. Look at how intricate the wings are and how they sparkle in the sun.
How would a "big bang" create these beautiful colors or patterns on animals or create the pattern on the inside of a nautilus shell or on the top of the sand dollar that I found on Dillon Beach? I just don't see that being the cause.
The last part of Genesis, chapter 1, that I want to refer to are the following verses:
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
I don't think anything in nature delights me more than the process of a seed germinating to become a plant that will provide food for my family and I. I get as excited as a child when I see the plant emerge from the soil.
Next consider that God created plants to nourish bees so they can gather pollen (as on my borage plants and echinacea flowers) so that the bees can then pollinate squash and other plants so that they produce food. What an amazing cycle!
I also believe that the empathy animals sometimes show each other is because they were created by God. Take these two penguins who were photographed by Tobias Baumgaertner. He captured this image of two widowed fairy penguins looking over the Melbourne skyline. It won an award in Oceanographic magazine's Ocean Photography Awards 2020. The backstory is heartwarming.
The lighter penguin is an elderly female whose partner died in the last year. The darker one is a younger male who lost his partner two years ago. Biologists have followed them as they meet every night to comfort each other. They stand for hours watching the city lights.
I pray that you experience the beauty of God's creation, have someone to comfort you when you are sad, and realize just how deeply God loves you.
Continued blessings,
Diane