Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-05-20
THROUGH NATURE TO GOD.
Terse Comments Upon the Christian
Endeavor Topic for May 20, "Les-
sons From the Birds and Flowers"
Luke 12:2428.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.

Modern teachers are equipped with
multitude of books, and they SEM
their students to the libraries. Bit
the Great Teacher, who has stimulaI
ed more thought and study than any
lessons in the everyday life about
him. He bound up common things
with profound spiritual messages. The
birds Of the air and the grass of the
field we're his interpreters of pro
found philosophy of life With this
example, we may not despise as puer.
lie and shallow the nature study IN
which so much delight and instruction
is to be found.
Wondrous truths, and manifold as
wondrous,
God hath written in the heavens
above;
But no less in the .fowerets beneath
us,
Runs the record of His love.
-Longfellow.
God gave man this world to enjoy
He means to share his own pleasure
in it with his children. So he has
made 1t exhaustless in it's beauty and
variety and interest. Whoever does
not find delight in the fields and flow
ers and birds and skies has missed
one of the first and best delights of
existence. That is an inverted AMI
unnatural mode of life which seeks
recreation in pictures and books, and
parlor games and public entertain
ments, and ignores the simple joys
which God has provided in his great
out of doors. There are persons who
will spend five dollars, and stay mp
half the night, in order to hear an
opera who will not get up an hour or
two earlier in the morning, or spend
ten cents carfare, in order to hear the
caroling of natures feathered chorus
amid the glorious scenery of an awak-
ening day. Such persons, though,
would not be voted wise by any jury.
Our times are stressing the beauty
and happiness Of life out of doors,
where God seems nearer and more
beautiful than anywhere else.
Consider the lilies" exhorted
Christ. Emphasize the first word. Do
merely view with a passing glance,
but consider carefully the deeper
meanings OF natures manifestations.
Jesus tried diligently to open the eyes
Of his friends to the significance Of
what they saw. There Is no training
for helpfulness and no pleasure great
er than the power of observation. To
the person with seeing eyes all the
passing show Of life, and all the
theatre Of natures operations, be-
comes an exhaustless source Of enter
tainment.
To dig in the dirt-preferably dirt to
which one holds title-with ones own
hands,, to plant ones own garden, Is a
pleasure such as the begoggled and
madly speeding automobilist cannot
understand or equal.
Natures lessons are all simple but
profound. The greatest truths are the
clearest. If we dwell more upon the
essential principles Of life, applying
them at every point to character ano
speculation concerning truths minol
ramifcations.
Every carolling bird sings, Goo
cares" Every flower that trusts itsel
to, soil and sun and rain repeats Goo
cares" The forest oak and the bidder
violet, the circling eagle or the Sc
questered wren, all unite in attestine
| the sufficient providence of nature
whose other name is God.
1t isn't raining rain to me,
| It's raining daffod1ls;
In every dimpled drop I see
Wild flowers on the hills.
| The clouds of gray engulf the day,
| And overwhelm the town;
1t isn't raining rain to me
It's raining roses down.
1t isn't raining rain to me,
But fields Of clover bloom,
Where every bucaneering bee
May find bed and room.
A health unto the happy!
A fig for him who frets;
/ 1t isn't raining rain to me
It's raining violets.
Robert Loverman.
SENTENCE SERMONS.