by The Rev’d Nancy Rowe

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…..God saw all that he had made and it was very good  (Genesis 1:1,34a).

These are the first words in the Bible and give us the lens through which we are called to see all things.  There is nothing that came into being that is not of God’s doing. There are however challenges built into the very nature of our universe in the form of natural phenomenon such as earthquakes, hurricanes, forest fires that are God’s way of recreating. Good things can also be corrupted through human greed, selfishness and hatred.  Again and again God calls us to cherish creation and each other.  The message was so important that God sent us Jesus to not only tell us, but show us how to be part of the created goodness.

Creation is the first miracle, the miracle within which all other miracles are formed.  Each baby born, each plant that springs from the earth. The very order of the universe, are a reaffirmation that God continues to be pleased with what God has created and is creating.  It is a celebration of the goodness of God.

The glory of spring, new life bursting forth, the smell of the earth freshly uncovered from the blanket of snow, the riot of flowers, sweet water tumbling over rocks are God’s gift.  The warm summer with crops springing from the rich soil, the chorus of crickets in the evening, clouds sailing on in a blue sky, sunsets that stop us in our tracks, are all gifts.  Fall with its riot of colour, the bounty of harvest that fills us with its sweet goodness are gifts.  Winter, although we do not always see it, brings its own unique gifts.  Perfect snowflakes caressing our cheeks, the joy of warming our hands on a hot cup of coffee are gifts.

We have also been given the gift of our senses that allow us to see the glory of colours, the rhythm of movement through our eyes, the music of the universe with our ears, the infinite variety of taste and smell, the sense of touch that allows us to feel of a hug, the smoothness of a baby’s skin, the caress of a warm breeze.

Gifts given by God as well as everything that we need to receive them, including our minds to know that these are indeed gifts and our souls that know who the giver of the gift is.

If we can learn to life each day in celebration and thanksgiving, then our problems gain a new perspective and our lives are allowed to grow into a fullness that we can scarce imagine.