I am filled with wonder and awe when I think about nature. The vibrant colors, powerful storms, and different animals all fascinate me and cause me to think about God's power over everything. I often experience the wonder and awe of God when I am outdoors. I love spending time hunting and hiking in the woods or fishing on a lake. Just this weekend, I traveled to our property in Troy, Missouri where I went deer hunting.
I rolled out of bed at 4:30 in the morning, threw on my camouflage, grabbed my bow and my pack and headed out into the dark woods. As I quietly walked down the moonlit gravel road, I looked up at the stars. I quickly spotted both dippers and then I began to wonder just how big is the universe, and where does it end, and what is on the other side of the end. After I got to the spot I was going to hunt, I climbed a tree and sat in the silence. At this time in the morning, there is not a sound in the woods; it's odd, but relaxing to experience complete silence accompanied with the darkness and dampness of a cool fall morning.
One of the most amazing experiences is watching and listening to the forest wake up. Everything around you is grey and the different shades allow you to begin to make out branches, leaves and deadfalls. A slight breeze blows the dew off the leaves in the trees and the quiet pitter-pattering surrounds you. Then the first bird chirps, and a second, third and forth quickly answer. A squirrel hops down out of his tree and rustles around with another in the leaves just before the sun peaks over the horizon.
Even though I did not see any deer this past weekend, I still enjoyed the time I spent outdoors, watching the squirrels play in the leaves as they searched for nuts and seeing the birds fly from limb to limb.
