Lessons in nature from God - change of focus so I can see the goodness of God. Mindset shift

My life has been completely transformed over the last 5 or 6 years. I am so thankful for everything that I’ve learned and the freedom I am walking in now, and I love to share about it, because it’s just that good. Some of you have heard bits of my testimony in my own videos, and in other people’s videos / podcasts, most of which are linked on my website, HERE. They are all going to just be pieces of the story, we can’t really share everything in an hour, and there is always a different focus.

So today, I’d like to focus on my shift of focus, and what that has done in my life, and how it can help you. I had so many fun, good times in my child hood playing outside in the woods, and making forts, and playing on the beach and in the water. Nature really was my happy place where I felt the most freedom, and joyful. Other times I was so afraid, and lonely. Not saying I wasn’t often afraid or lonely in nature, but it was better. As I got sicker, I would still lay outside half the year, because breathing was so much easier outside, as was a positive attitude. However, I didn’t get to go bush whacking, fort creating, floating and playing all day on the water, etc. I missed it.

As I started to heal, my focus, and the complete reason for my healing, was Jesus. I started renewing my mind to the truth of who I was in Christ, and who God is. Yet, it started with limited awareness of that, and a lot of lies, that needed to be replaced with truth. So, as I chose to laugh, and take in my environment, and be present, thanking God for whatever I possibly could in my environment, I started noticing that there were so many awesome lessons from God in the world around me, and I was so thankful that God was using my love of nature, and the peace I feel in it to help me.  He is so kind.

Sometimes the lessons came as I lay in bed and thanked God for the leaf of the plant above my bed, and He would bring to mind beautiful memories of nature, and show me hope in the stories. Other times, I was out in nature, gently pushing my body to do more, as I healed, and I got to see lessons from God in nature first hand.

I realize now that as I chose to change my focus, and focus on what is good, pure, noble, and praiseworthy, and the goodness of God, my focus really was changing. It was changing to the point that I see God, and His goodness everywhere. I see the word of God, and truths of the word, in things I look at because my focus is on Him. I love sharing these lessons I see, and God often brings them to mind when I am praying for someone else, what a gift. Thank you, God.

I say it is God teaching the lessons through nature because the Holy Spirit is our teacher, He leads us into all truth, and teaches us all things, and never lies. I am so thankful for that. Because I spend my time in nature choosing to thank Him, and pray to Him, and pray in the spirit, and worship and praise Him, I am open and ready to listen.

One such lesson that He literally brought up today as I was praying for someone, was from inside my house a few years back, when He was kind enough to teach me lessons from nature, in potted plants because that’s what was available.

Some have heard this before, but its lovely. That I was doing a lot of propagating of single leaf/node propagations of my own plants, for something to gently push my body, encourage me, something to do that was positive, and because I wanted more plants, without the means to buy them right then. I had actually taken a single node cutting from my mom’s monstera in this case (aka split leaf philodendron). It happened to have 2 leaves on it. I placed it in water for a bit, until I started seeing little roots starting out. I got so excited that I went to pot it right away when I saw evidence of roots.

I was out of all of my small pots that I usually propagated single node cuttings in, so I put it in a medium pot, just over 6” across. It sat in that pot on a shelf above my bed for 2-3 months I believe, looking the same. Then one day I noticed that it appeared to be dying, I figured I had been too impatient with the roots growing in the water. One of the leaves did indeed completely die, and had to be cut off. So, although the other looked fine, I assumed the cutting hadn’t taken, so I pulled it out of the ground.

I was so surprised, when out came this huge root system, the pot was not root bound, but headed that way, and remember this is a little bigger than a 6” across pot. Wow. I shoved it back in quickly, and giggled. Then I thanked God for the gift of that plant, and just sat and realized that He was bringing to my attention that the same thing was happening in me. Although sometimes on the outside, it didn’t look great, inside my heart was being changed. My thoughts, and my desires especially, were being completely reformed. I was being made new from the inside out, being transformed by the renewal of my mind. While that was happening sometimes it didn’t look great on the outside, maybe even looked worse. However, as long as I kept my eyes on Jesus, and the growth in my heart, and desires, and will, then I was growing my roots down into Him, and I would be transformed.  I would know how big, and mighty, holy, and awesome my God was, and as I get to know God, I am made new.

I was just in awe. Thank you, God for that lesson. The realization that my focus is changing, and I am seeing the truths of the word of God in nature around me was so cool. Where are you putting your focus?   Is it changing you? For better or worse? Would you like to hear more nature lessons from God? Let me know in the comments, thanks!