Nature Calls To Us

I believe that nature is the place that links us to the divine. That everyone has a chance to connect to a higher power, and feel like they have an important role to play on the earth.

I was 12. It had been my first time flying by myself. My parents had sent me to visit my grandparents in Oregon, where I was born. Staying there for about two weeks, every day was fun. Every day we had fun stuff to do. And one weekend, we decided to go down to the beach, just my grandpa and I.

When we got down to the beach, I was awe struck by the ocean. I had never seen it before; expanding beyond the horizon, the sun reflecting off, large waves off in the distance. All around me, there was beauty. There were tall rock ledges on both sides that seemed to be reaching for the sky; the sand warmed my feet as I walked towards the endless expanse of water. The sun seemed to lift me up, and the gentle breeze soothed all my worldly stress.

I wasn’t excited about it. I wasn’t having “fun,” or experiencing some kind of thrill. But for some reason, I felt so empowered, so free; the feeling of interacting with the divine. Where you are humbled, and at the same time, feel like you are important. You have been chosen to feel some of the awe, some of the power that created the world.

Don’t ask me what religion I am, or what God I believe in. I’m not sure about those things, and I like it that way. Not knowing what makes me feel so empowered in nature, so carefree, so disconnected from the real world, makes it all the more awe inspiring.

I believe that nature, the divine, calls to us. And I believe that we should all answer that call.