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The Subtle Power of Nature

© N. Lou Lyons

Severe weather often leads to unforgettable moments from nature. Lengthy droughts leave our land parched and barren, while raging floods sweep away vegetation and homes damaging everything in their wake. Tornados touch down. Blinding ice and snow storms descend and remind us of a greater force beyond our control.

Equally memorable yet less destructive than severe weather is the subtle power of everyday encounters with nature. Nature will transform lives when used to uncover more about ourselves and our universe. This power of nature is ours to behold.

We already possess senses that allow us to tap into the deeper dimensions of our natural resources. Rethinking how we use these senses may lead to enlightening discoveries. Look for a moment at this picture. Did you see a blue jay or a blue and white bird? Now let's view the picture as an artist would look at nature. Several shades of blue make this jay a blue jay. Those orderly black design patterns found on the head, wings and tail feathers help establish unique shapes and sizes within the form. Look at the size of that beak. The blue jay is a work of art. Were you able to notice a branch the bird was perched on? When we learn to both look and see we experience more fully the depths of nature. Look at a jay in it's natural habitat to see more than just a large blue bird that may have grown up to a foot long.

Out in the wild a blue jay is difficult to ignore because of the call it makes. Consider for a moment a sound you remember from nature. Does the memory invoke strong thoughts? Sounds are imprinted in our memory and like sight can be recalled on will. Visit the link titled Ruffed Grouse Drum located below the 2nd picture here. What would you think if you were in the middle of nowhere, could not see anything moving, had never heard this sound before and suddenly there it was? If we both listen and hear as a musician tends to his music it helps us better appreciate the happenings outdoors. A musician would hear not just a flutter, but also a certain tone and pitch. Take notice whether the noise is insistent or contains rest stops. Is it distant or close? Listen and hear other sounds that blend to create a symphony. Leaves rustling while chipmunks scurry. Tune in to nature and hear the grass grow.