Lately the weather has been odd, but there have been glimpses of perfection. Springtime brings some of the best weather to Texas. Average temperatures are above 75 but below 85. The trees are all in full bloom. Green is everywhere, with paintings of Texas wildflowers. All of this weather reminds me that Sarah and I love being outside.
I love wakeskating. I love swimming. I love beaches. I love mountains. I love hiking. I love running. What do all of these have in common? The outdoors!
When you look at the Bible, we see so much of it is centered around nature. Isn’t it interesting that Adam was made from dirt? Adam and Eve were also given a garden to cultivate and animals to nurture. God Himself walked in the Garden with Adam and Eve.
Jesus spent most of his time outside with the crowds and His disciples. Many of His teachings, lessons, and applications had references to outdoor activities, such as farming. He also chose to spend some of His last hours alone in a garden.
God has placed in each of us a longing to be outside, to be part of His creation. Some more so than others, but it’s still there for all of us, whether we recognize it or not.
Psalm 104:24-25 says
How many are Your works, LORD! In wisdom You made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number— living things both large and small.
Looking at this verse, we first see that the psalmist is marveling at the work of God. The ocean is truly marvelous; its depth and abundance of life is absolutely incredible.
Secondly, the Hebrew word for wisdom is chokmah, a cognate of hakam. The concept of hakam is best understood as skillful living. For example, the same word hakam is translated as skill when describing Oholiab in Exodus 31, who was chosen by God to craft the tabernacle. That is some serious skill. So in this verse from Psalm 104, wisdom could also be interpreted as skill.
God is our skillful Creator.
Why do I bring all of this up?
We marvel at how skillful God is in His creation, and we naturally want to be skillful, or wise, in taking care of His creation. Furthermore, just like Jesus enjoyed being outside and spending time in the garden, we too were created to skillfully enjoy the outdoors. God wants you and me to spend time outside, to relax, to learn, and to grow in our knowledge of His creation.
That’s one of the greatest aspects about Frontier Camp. Here at camp, kids spend so much time outdoors! Beyond sleeping in the cabins and eating in the dining hall, almost all activities are outside in His creation, interacting with and learning from it. They get to spend time riding on the water, riding on horseback, learning from Mr. Hans about outdoorsmanship, swimming in the pool, and more.
I love camp. I love kids, and I love being outside.
How can you spend more time outside this spring and summer? Have you planned any family camping trips?