Yesterday I hiked in Saratoga Spa State Park on the five-mile trail. I walked down near Gyser Creek and paid attention to the water. In some places, the water ran smooth with rich colors of deep brown and black. It was unbroken and beautiful. In other places there were riffles. According to the USDA website: “Riffles are the shallower, faster-moving sections of a stream. Look for areas with a fast current where rocks break the water surface. That's a riffle.” I learned that riffles oxygenate the water and help aquatic creatures survive. It’s important to understand these things, but equally important to pay attention to the beauty, to the song, to the life lessons that riffles hold. As I stood taking in the reality of riffles I reflected on how the rocks change the character of the water, enliven it, make music with it. There are rocks in the stream of my life. Do I let them enhance my living or do I fixate on getting rid of them? Creation has so much to teach, to inspire, to delight. No wonder creation has been called the first book of scripture!

What in Nature has taught you a life lesson?