Greetings …

When through the bush
    and coastal lands I wander,
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees;
When I look out
   and see the mountain grandeur,
And spy the river, feel the gentle breeze.

Then sings my soul,
   my Saviour God, to thee,
How great thou art, how great thou art!
© Stuart K Hine – amended H Hon.

To be honest I am not always inspired to sing traditional hymns as I walk along, but as I was walking at Tidal River on Tuesday I was touched again by the beauty of God’s Creation, and the hymn How Great Thou Art came to mind.

A British minister, Stuart K. Hine, contributed heavily to the version of this hymn that we are familiar with today. However, the original text came from a Swedish preacher, Carl Boberg, who wrote his lyrics after a unique experience on the southeast coast of Sweden.  Boberg’s inspiration came from a visit to a beautiful country estate on the southeast coast of Sweden. He got caught in a midday thunderstorm with awe-inspiring moments of flashing violence, followed by a clear brilliant sun. Soon afterwards he heard the calm, sweet songs of the birds in nearby trees.

Sometimes in the rush of living we can lose sight of the importance of Creation in our lives.  We take for granted God’s wisdom in Creation and how various elements work together to sustain all life.  We forget that we are one part of that life and need to play our part in sustaining life.

May we continue to notice the beauty and diversity of creation, adopt practices which honour and care for all creation.

Blessings – Heather.