And this is Why They Call It Mother Nature

“Going Within”

Written By Rev. Jack R. Elliott,

Author and Spiritual Life Coach |

Dear Rev. Jack, “Is there one quick thing I can do to break the blues? I find myself sitting on my couch, clicking away on my remote–watching endless hours of TV. I know that this isn’t me, but I come home from work on Friday evening and I’m just exhausted. The next thing I know, its Monday morning and the grind begins all over again. – Bertha

Dear Bertha,

I recommend that you spend some time with your Mother–Mother Nature that is:

Go on a walk with her, you’ll be amazed. I believe that Spirit uses Mother Nature to teach us what we need to know, to transform our own lives. In my twenty plus years as an HR Executive, I noticed that many of my co-executives went for a walk at lunch time. After a few weeks of being the only person in the employee dining room, I decided to walk as well. To assure that I would do it, 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. was marked on my appointment calendar so that my assistant wouldn’t book an appointment during my 30 minute walk.

The first day or two were hard. I kept looking at my watch, as to distract the mind chatter, which was endless: “I should answer Harry’s email; I have that huge deliverable at 2:00, I should be working on that; my feet hurt–why did I wear these shoes…” and so on. But I stuck to it. On the third day, I noticed the scent of some roses as I walked by a neighboring building. “Why are these here?” I answered myself, “They’re here to be enjoyed by the people who walk by.” I was surprised I hadn’t noticed them the prior two days.

The next day, I gave myself a challenge: to notice something else in nature that I hadn’t noticed the day before. What I noticed was flowering ground cover, beautifully stacked rocks, and artfully manicured lawns surrounding the neighboring office buildings. Prior to my daily walks, all of this had gone by unnoticed. Soon, I was excited about my noontime walk, for I knew that Mother Nature had another surprise for me, just around the corner.

I remember one day, when spring was just becoming summer, the warmth of the sun seemed to wash over me as I took my walk. It felt so good. I asked myself, “When was the last time you felt this good!” I couldn’t remember. The image that did come to mind was me as a child. I couldn’t wait to finish my breakfast, so I could get “outside.” When I was a child, I lived for the outdoors. I relished the feel of the wind against my face as I rode my bike down to the playground. The smell of newly mowed grass awakened my senses, and provoked me to kick off my shoes and socks just so I could feel the warmth of the carpet of green beneath my feet.

I remember, lying in the grass for hours taking in the rich blueness of the sky; making up imaginary stories from the imagines I formed in my mind from the clouds as they passed by overhead, “Look it’s a bunny!” I loved watching the tree tops sway in the breeze, and the sound that wind made as it passed through the trees. I was both amazed and comforted by nature. This must be why they call it “Mother Nature,” I mused.

While I’ve always loved the autumn colors, it’s spring that often amazes me. Early one May, I had gone out to gather the morning papers and I noticed that the Crêpe Myrtle Tree near my front door had the tiniest buds–just about to pop! I remember thinking that by the next week, the tree would be in full bloom, but I’d miss it because I was going to be gone.

Later that day, I was working in my den, and I noticed that the day had turned out to be warmer that I had anticipated. Not warm enough for the air-conditioning, but a perfect day to open a window. As I opened the window, I noticed the tree. Something had covered it. I dashed outside to see what had covered the tree only to notice that each and every bud had opened up! The unusually warm day had caused the tree to transform in just five short hours. The tree was filled with beautiful red flowers and rich, fresh green leaves. I was awestruck by nature once again.

As I went back to my writing, I realized that Mother Nature is a great teacher. If a tree could transform in five hours, why couldn’t I? Spirit gave me that metaphor for a reason. Spirit used nature once again to remind me that what may seem to be now, in just a moment, may very well be something totally different.

So Bertha, I invite to see your world from a different point of view. Go for a walk in nature. Let Spirit and nature reveal to you what you need to see. The rain will cleanse you. The sun will surround you with warmth. The Ocean will humble you when your ego becomes too large. The earth will ground you and support you as you take a stand. The mountains will inspire you to grow bigger than you could ever imagine. The flowers, and their fragrance, will remind you that there is a sweet, sweet Spirit that is always with you. Enjoy your walk!  – Rev. Jack