By Ellen Shuck

"Oh, my gosh!" I excitably exclaimed to my husband as we traveled along the road. "Look at those beautiful round bales of hay. They are so beautifully formed -- all the same size and shape!"

Then, to add to the beauty of the scene, cows were strolling throughout the clean-shaven field, absent-mindedly chewing and gazing about the pasture.

Expressions of satisfaction and contentment radiated from their faces. It was almost as if they knew how fortunate they were.

I was filled with awe and wonder at the intrigue and beauty contained in God's world. As we continued on our road trip up and down hills like two kids on a roller coaster, I recognized how fortunate I am.

Why was I just now appreciating the ecstasy and privilege I am privy to every day of my life, if I but noticed?

Although there are more talented artists than you can imagine, I now paid attention and thought about how fortunate I was that I could physically see what was before my eyes.

Many can't.

I gave thanks to God for my blessings -- blessings you so often take for granted. Then I realized it's a privilege to ponder and gaze upon those God-given portraits.

There were no other words that fit. What I was witnessing was a miracle.

Ahhh, such wonder, I didn't have to turn the pages of a book to see the pictures. Neither did I need to engage someone to sketch a view for me. It was right before my eyes.

The sun was shining, its warm rays comforting my body. A slight wind was blowing, causing the trees and blades of grass to sway back and forth. The pieces, each inserted into the proper place, were placed one by one, like a jigsaw puzzle.

As we drove through the farming community, the raw magnificence glared at me from all sides. I saw tractors.

Some were beautiful, new and shiny, and others were broken down and rusty. You wondered where the new ones would go and where the dilapidated ones had been. God only knows.

Everything tells a story and has its own words of wisdom.

Why else does one go away to attend retreats or visit different parts of the country?

It's to gain new perspective, become closer to your God and regain your energy from within. Nature is the best teacher of all.

Job 12:7-10 tells people, "But ask the animals and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it will teach you, or let the fish in the sea inform you. Which of these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done that. In his hand is the life of every creature and breath of mankind."

You truly can learn from everything. God has given life to all. Psalms 96:11-12 adds credibility to the statement when it says, "Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad, let the sea resound and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Let all the trees of the forest sing for joy."

Recently, as I watched two tiny birds picking up stray food and running back and forth, I noticed how happy they seemed.

I recalled that God used them for an example on the subject of worry.

"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in barns, for your heavenly father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable than they?" (Matthew 6:26). In other words, they depend completely on God for everything, so why can't we?

It's delightful and enlightening when you ponder all that's around and adds interest, spirituality and wisdom.

Try being more perceptive of all that's present, and recognize the joy and feelings of gratitude you can discover. Then you will see a world filled with awesome greatness and purpose.