60

I started counting during my morning walk today. I was enjoying the impressive neighborhood "garden show" along my favorite walking route, and suddenly, it wasn't enough just to look and savor; I had to know just how many kinds of plants I was seeing. I needed to quantify this. (Don't ask me why, it's just how my brain works!)

And so I counted.

60.

60 types of cultivated plants in the space of one-half city block.

60 shapes. 60 textures. 60 shades of green. 60 trees, shrubs, grasses and flowering things of all kinds. 60 didn't even include different varieties of the same plant.

I was genuinely astounded.

To think that the wonderful climate of the Northwest can sustain such a variety of flora in one small space amazed me. But I was even more amazed at the mind and power of the loving God who created these, not only to be useful contributors to our environment, but to be a feast for the human eye and signposts pointing us to Him. I was humbled in pondering that this is but one MINISCULE demonstration of His ingenuity, creativity, resourcefulness and wisdom.

I finished the rest of my walk looking differently at the beautiful morning around me. I heard the birds more. Enjoyed the blue sky more. Took note of the many shades of hydrangeas more. Pardon me for sounding extremely corny, but it's exactly what I did. And later this afternoon, Psalm 100 completed the happy contemplation of my 60 morning glimpses of God:

"Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
IT IS HE WHO MADE US, AND WE ARE HIS..."

Amen and amen. :)