Beauty and Bread
“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” John Muir
“Father of the National Parks”
I ran across this quote and photo in one of my files and I just had to write about it. A few minutes before that discovery I had finished eating one of my favorite breakfasts: whole grain toast with a slice of cheddar cheese and half an avocado. I remembered that John Muir hiked through the Sierra Mountains and elsewhere carrying only a loaf of bread and a tin cup for drinking water as needed. Not sure about the cheese and avocado. 🙂
I’ve spent many weeks in some of the same places where he hiked and played and slept and prayed and they have been some of the best days of my life. Nature healed me too, and gave strength to my body and soul. I realized today that I don’t have to return to the Sierra for ‘beauty and bread.’ I can enjoy both in my own neighborhood, surrounded by mountains and trees and flowers and fruit farms, and I can do so everyday. How blessed I am.
How about you? How does nature heal and strengthen you?
Give us this day our daily bread. (Matthew 6:11)
Thank you for your writing today. Nature has definitely healed my body,heart, mind and soul. I was advised by my doctor to go out from 7:00 to 8:00a.m. in the morning and do my grounding without any sunglasses or a visor on my head. I put wool socks on and sit on a chair. One hour of being outside in my backyard and grounding pulls out the electromagnetic radiation from my body, rejuvinates my cells and has actually made a difference in my circadian rhythm. I am able to sleep through the night,which is a miracle. My doctor told me that and I know it really is making a profound difference in my life. I hear the owl hooting, and doves eat the seeds from my succulents. Other birds come into my backyard. The biggest thrill was when I saw an egrette in my backyard and took a picture through my kitchen window when he started flying over the fence His wing spam was around four feet. Nature clears my mind and calms my whole central nervous system. It also brings back beautiful memories of my childhood.
What a charming story, Sandy. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Thank you so very much Karen. It was my pleasure to share it.
Yes, mam, nature heals and strengthens me daily. My source of earth strength is the ocean. Seeing it, hearing the waves, smelling it and watching all of the birds, whales, dolphins—reminds me God is in control.
I love hearing this, Heidi. I’m on the same wave length.
Amen Heidi. I can hear the ocean roar and smell the ocean air. The birds are always seem happy and free at the ocean. Thank you for sharing.
There are many places to take in God’s creation- but the beach is my go-to place to pray and soak up His blessings. Between the sand squishing through my toes, the shells that I find and the sun on my face, my soul drinks up every bit with delight!
I miss the SD beaches but I’m blessed to be near the ocean in Santa Cruz too.
Mom, that is so beautiful. I love that you spent so much time in the mountains that you loved.
xo Julie
Thanks, Julie. I’m so happy you are discovering the joys of hiking.
This one really fits well with my daughter, son-in-law and where I live as we have an awesome view! Behind our house we have a large back yard and a sidewalk that goes half way around a large pond then a golf course and then trees on both sides. We have deer’s that live in a small forest to the left and they take walks on the sidewalk, come in our yard and sometimes if my daughter knocks on the glass sliding doors one of the deers will come in the yard and look at her and she will take his picture. It is awesome to see them with the young ones walking on the sidewalk between our house and the pond. We have seen as many as seven including their young, walk by and sometimes they run. We also have Sandhill Cranes who come close to the house. They are awesome especially with their babies! They walk right next to our house and go back and forth from the back of our house to the street and back. Of course we have many photos! I have one photo of a deer and a Sandhill Crane standing in our yard not far from the screen that goes around out swimming pool facing toward the house. I am not sure how far apart they were but probably only about ten feet apart and they were just staring at each other. I stood by the pool to watch and wondered which one would walk away. Finally the deer left and headed toward the woods where they live. I think the deer was smart and the Sandhill Cranes have huge wings and could have covered the deer is she had spread them. We see ducks on the pond, people walking around it with their dogs so we feel really blessed with all the nature we see~plus God’s beautiful sunsets.
Thanks, Karen. I love to share this story and we thank God all the time for his creations and creatures. Love to you, Margaret
Oh Margaret, how blessed you and your family are to enjoy such gifts of nature. Thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Hey Karen
I’m not exactly sure how the Creator comforts me with His Creation, but He does and it naturally calms my stress, eases my physical aches, brings peace to my emotions and makes me joyful, when I take time to breathe it in.
Thanks for sharing your nature experiences.
Smiles, BRC
I love hearing your experience in nature, Beth. Reminds me of my own.