Tuesday, February 1, 2011

O let the earth bless the Lord

I lead a charmed life. Truly I do.

I was pondering the sheer awesomeness of it all the other day at my job at the nature reserve. Here I was, on one of the grayest days imaginable, trudging through the brambly, sodden woods to tag and untag trees for tapping maple syrup. And I was incredibly happy.

Blissful. Serene. Giddy.

All of those words tied up in a pretty bundle with my name on it. Why, you might ask? I can't really explain. I think perhaps it just hit me that I was getting paid to do what I normally do in rare stolen moments--observe and experience nature in all of its everyday splendor.

Who else do you know who spends a morning marking a "Great Square"? (supposedly if you took all of the leaves from one tree and placed them side by side, they would cover half an acre of land) Or labeling persimmon trees? Yeah, I didn't think so.

Sometimes, I admit, I get a little envious of those who get to write for a living. Using my intelligence and wit to win my daily bread sounds very appealing. But then I remember that just as each of us is given unique talents and gifts, we each are also granted unique opportunities to use them for God's greater glory.

No, I do not spend my days crafting sentences to someday share with readers. Instead I wander around woods, prairies, and wetlands sharing my love and appreciation of nature with children. And that makes me very blessed.

O let the earth bless the Lord. Sing his praise and exalt him forever!

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