Being God’s stewards of the land is a year-round enterprise, even if we don’t have to be useful, making a profit on crops or livestock. There’s a lot to trimming off dead limbs from trees, for example, especially ten-story oaks. Whether oaks or pines, trees depend upon their interlaced roots, and can fall on their own after years of drought and then enough of a rainstorm to rot the roots in clay-filled soil.

But looking at the land, we see beauty more than toil. A few days ago, the mid-morning sunlight sifted through the canopy of our woods, producing golden dapples on the pure white snow. Then the sun began to shift, and squirrels scampered in all directions, leaving little footprints, so nature’s scene shifted once again. God must love seeing the living artworks God has created!

“Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
Sing the glory of [God’s] name;
Give to [God] glorious praise.
. . .
All the earth worships You;
They sing praises to You,
Sing praises to Your name.”
(Psalm 66:1,4)

Your partner in wonder,

Betsy Schwarzentraub