Discovery Hope through God’s Creation by Lexie Hunsicker
I’ve always marveled at the way the sun colors the earth in the autumn and winter seasons. The light is so much more intense than it is in the other two seasons, especially in the morning hours. The vibrant leaves in the fall and the stark white snow in the winter are magnified by the southern sun in the most beautiful way.
I find this ironic. The half of the year that’s filled with colder, darker, and shorter days is the half that belongs to brighter sunlight.
Now, I know science would tell us that the earth is simply closer to the sun during fall and winter, explaining why the sun looks brighter during this time. But I’ve always believed God was intentional in how he designed everything, and I think He had a good time creating our natural, physical world to hold the wisdom that our mental, emotional, and spiritual life can learn from.
I quit my job in October of 2020. I purposely had nothing else lined up. And, as you know, this was all in the middle of a pandemic. My main reason for quitting was to take care of my mental health. I didn’t know how I was going to make it through this season, but I did know my whole being was begging for rest, care, and attention. So I made the terrifying and brave decision to listen to it.
The months that followed were filled with some of the most solitary and reflective moments I have ever experienced. I took at least 2 walks a day to be in nature and to be with God. I felt lost and defeated without any kind of direction or a clue of what was to come, which turned out to be the perfect recipe for giving me a taste of what it truly means to just be. This is not something we know well, or really at all, in American culture. I wasn’t working or earning any sort of income. I was creating, but only things that were meant for my soul. I was going to therapy every week, but those were the only appointments I ever had on my calendar.
By the world’s standards, I looked like and felt like, a failure. But through all of the questions and doubts and uncertainty I was wrestling with, I never once felt like God saw me as a failure. He met me in every walk through nature and beyond with grace, compassion, and joy.
You might be wondering what I mean by having this vague “meeting” with an invisible being. I’ve heard other people describe experiences where God has met them wherever they were, and never really understood it either. But after this season of just quietly existing, I was reminded that God often reveals himself to us through his creation. Taking time to be in his creation during the fall of 2020 and noticing how the Light is magically brighter on the colder days was the kindest way for Jesus to tell me He is near.
If you’re walking through a similar season - one that you never saw coming and all you long for is peace in the midst of it - my hope is this encourages you. I hope you lean into the nature around you to remind you that Jesus is there. He always is. And when you are experiencing the coldest, most barren days of your life, I hope you remember that’s when you are closest to the Son.
Lexie Hunsicker is a wife, dog mom, and creator. She is the writer behind the blog Hope & Honesty, where she brings her passion for following Jesus and advocating for mental health into one space. If she’s not writing or playing music, she is enjoying the outdoors with her husband, Jacob, and their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Milo.