By Kristina Reeve
From the earliest years, my parents sought to encourage a love for the natural world. Although the first years weren’t spent in the country, they always brought nature in through the backyard garden and Sabbath afternoon walks in some forest park. They patiently taught me not to be afraid of spiders and bees and told me how nature shows to us that God is love.
We moved to the country when I was nine, opening a whole new world to study. The variety of birds at our feeder, the deer in the backyard, the mountains and forests to roam and explore. We took identification books on our walks, and learned the names of flowers, trees and edible plants as our homeschool science class.
But to my childish mind something was missing—a link that would somehow, in some way, help nature come to life. Nature facts became dry and lifeless and I began to wonder— how could facts teach you about God?
God never forsakes a soul who is searching for truth! He began teaching our family how to discover the truths of His word, as revealed in His creation.
This opened up a completely new world to me. For the first time, not only did the “dry and lifeless” nature facts have a new meaning, but the Bible sprang to life, as well!
To study something from Scripture in my devotions, and then find an illustration of that very lesson on a nature walk not only helped deepen the lesson learned, but helped make it practical as well!
Nature study became a hobby during the homeschool years and continued during my studies at Ouachita Hills College. On travels with school and colporteuring, the need for learning to use nature as a key was impressed upon my mind. Opportunities for sharing nature lessons multiplied.
