The Bush, Creeks and Other Natural Things

Monbulk Creek (Dandenong Ranges).  Image credit: bushwalkingjournal.blogspot.com

This afternoon my son's class went on a bit of a wander down our school's nature trail.  It was a beautiful example of integrating the study of English, appreciating the environment and faith.  Something I think I'm going to use as an example for my current essay on influences of educational stakeholders and their influence on my personal beliefs about education!

The kids were asked to walk silently through the bush and use their senses to notice things like sounds, smells, how the sun felt, how they felt and how it made them feel about God.  They then went and sat down in a less damp area of the school grounds and wrote their own psalm.  They were beautiful, heartfelt expressions of young faith in response to God's creation.  They were so sacred I felt reluctant to correct spelling errors.

As I wandered along, last in the line, I was listening to the creek.  It was bubbling along and sounded like it had plenty of water in it.  It made me think of abundant blessings and the way God's love for us is pure, clean and fresh, just like that creek water.  God's love flows freely.  The only restriction to a normal, healthy creek are the things we build up and put in the way.  It is those things that stop the creek from flowing.  It's very much the same with us and God.  The thing that stops us from experiencing His abundant, freely flowing love for us is....well....us.  More specifically it's the things we put in the way.

Our staff are in for a very precious treat at devotions tomorrow morning and I'm feeling a little sad that I'll miss it.  Many of the children generously offered their psalms to the teacher for her to read to the rest of the teachers in the morning.  How blessed we are to work in a place where God is at the centre of all that is done.