Why Do I Talk So Much About Going Outside?

I wonder how many of us, if asked to think of a time when we felt particularly close to God, or had a memorable encounter with Him, would recall an occasion spent outside?

It might have been watching the sun rise, with the sky slowly filling with colour. Or mist hanging over the fields, an incredible sunset, or the first signs of spring as new leaves and buds began to appear on the trees. Maybe it was watching an eagle soar overhead or simply sitting beside the sea, listening to the waves.

We all have our own moments, our own places and our own experiences. But I think there’s something about being surrounded by creation that helps us become more aware of God. 

It’s certainly true for me. And I think that’s one of the reasons I talk so much about going outside.

SO MUCH TO SEE, IF WE WOULD JUST LOOK

One of the things I find incredible about creation is its sheer variety. God could have created one type of bird, all with bland colours. He could have made every tree the same, every flower identical. The world would still have functioned. Everything we needed would have been there. We wouldn’t have known any different.

But God chose to create so much more.

Instead, He created this extraordinary spectrum of colour, shape, texture and variety. From the tiniest flower hidden in a hedgerow to the intricate patterns on an insect’s wings, from the grandeur of an oak tree to the incredible diversity of birds and mammals.

There is so much beauty and so much wonder if we would only stop long enough to notice it.

I think that’s part of the problem. We become so consumed with our own lives, our responsibilities, our plans and our distractions that we simply stop looking. We walk past things every day without really seeing them. We have a tendency to walk through a landscape rather than experiencing it.

Yet there is something quite remarkable about taking time to notice the world around us. To stop and look at a flower. To listen to the birdsong. To watch the clouds moving across the sky. To notice the changing seasons.

We don’t have to travel somewhere spectacular to experience this. There is wonder to be found in our own gardens, local parks and the hedgerows along our familiar paths. We simply need to learn to pay attention.

A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE

Of course, there is also something quite special about getting away from our normal surroundings.

For me, sitting on a tor on Dartmoor, looking out across the landscape, or finding a quiet spot beside the sea and listening to the waves, can be a powerful experience.

There is something about the vastness of creation that changes our perspective. We can spend so much time caught up in our own little worlds, with our worries, our plans and the seemingly endless demands of everyday life. Then we stand somewhere that feels immense, look out across the landscape and suddenly realise that we’re part of something so much bigger.

Our problems don’t necessarily disappear, and our responsibilities haven’t changed. But perhaps they don’t seem quite so overwhelming.

We are reminded that there is a world beyond our own immediate concerns. A world full of beauty, mystery and wonder, much of which remains unexplored and beyond our understanding.

Sometimes we need to step away from the familiar, leave some of the distractions behind and allow ourselves to experience that grandeur. To feel small in the midst of something so much bigger than ourselves.

And yet, wonderfully, we are not insignificant to the One who created it all.

WHAT DOES CREATION SHOW US ABOUT GOD?

There is a verse in Romans that I often return to when thinking about creation:

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made.” (Romans 1:20, NIV)

Creation reveals something of who God is. His power, His creativity, His greatness and His attention to detail are all reflected in what He has made. There’s so much to discover if only we would stop long enough to notice.

I love exploring this idea at Wild Church. One of the activities we often run is to invite people to find an object in creation. It might be a flower, a tree, a stone or something else that catches their attention.

We then take some time to become still, look closely at what we’ve found and ask God what it might show us about His character.

It’s a simple exercise, but the responses people come back with can be wonderful.

Someone might look at a tree and reflect on the strength, stability and grandeur of God. Someone else might look up at the vastness of the sky and begin to contemplate the greatness of God. Another person might spend time looking at a tiny flower and be reminded of God’s attention to detail, His creativity and the beauty He has placed even in the smallest things.

It’s not about finding a hidden spiritual meaning in every object. It’s about allowing what we see to draw our attention towards the One who made it.

I find it incredible that the same God who created the vastness of the universe is also the God who thought about the intricate detail of a tiny flower.

And perhaps that’s something we miss when we rush through life. We miss the opportunity to stop, wonder and allow creation to remind us of the character of its Creator.

PERHAPS WE JUST NEED TO STOP AND LOOK

I don’t believe we need to go outside to find God. He’s not more present on Dartmoor than He is in our kitchens, workplaces or living rooms.

But I do believe that spending time in creation can help us become more aware of Him.

It can quieten some of the noise, shift our perspective and awaken a sense of wonder that we might have lost somewhere along the way.

And perhaps it doesn’t need to be complicated.

Next time you go outside, take a little longer. Don’t just walk from one place to another. Stop for a moment. Notice what’s around you. Look closely at something you might normally walk straight past.

It might be a tree, a flower, a bird or simply the sky above you.

Spend a few minutes really looking. Notice the colours, the shapes, the detail and the beauty. And maybe ask yourself a simple question:

What does this show me about the God who created it?

You might be surprised by what you discover.

There is so much wonder around us, and so many reminders of the God who made it all.

Perhaps we just need to slow down, step outside and start noticing.