At The Spirituality Project, we’re collecting people’s stories of Divine connection. These stories about nature are from our growing trove. If they remind you of an experience you had, we want to hear it! Submit your own story here.
“The island mountains rose over the bright blue water like a marvel in my brain. We were on the bow, a ferry out of Tenerife, the wind force strong in my face, the waves lifting us up and down, huge swells underneath. I'd seen those mountains before, I'd lived under them, but never from the water, never with the wind, and the rise and fall 50 feet at a time. I'm always searching for God more in my life, reading and thinking and trying to reach him or her. That day on the water, I felt his love and grace head to heart to fingertips. Later the same day, I became quite seasick. Upon reflection over the 40 years since, I marvel at God's power too, and my smallness, my nothingness. So, I reflect with peace and awe at God's magnificent beauty in his creations, and his raw power, and my nothingness.” -Craig, Tarpon Springs, USA
“Whenever I am feeling down or worried about something, I go outside and just sit. I just get out and look at a tree or a flower, and really look at it. How the tree moves in the wind, I look at the leaves dancing, the shades of green in the leaves. I listen to how the wind rustles in its branches, the different colors and textures of the bark. By focusing on something in nature and spending time observing it, I feel calmer and feel like there is a bigger force out there that is loving.” -Daniel, Minneapolis, USA
“Sharing life experiences with farm animals was a way of life; Sacred enrichment that helped me survive. One of the animals in the barnyard was gentle swayback Maude; my muted black horse with a white strip down her nose. Sometimes I rode her bareback, pretending I was an Indian. A few times I even rode her without reins, leaning forward whispering nonsensical words and using my hands on her neck to direct our path. We shared an extraordinary early spring day of walking through the woods on an old roadbed. Me on Maude, riding bareback, my beloved dog Spot to my left, where upon we came upon a small group of deer bedded down under a grove of pine trees to my right. Directly in front of them was an opening in the trees, a small meadow where sun-lit sage grass moved in the breeze. The deer looked at us, I looked at them, we walked on. We shared a space on Earth with reverence; oneness with life.” -Linda, Big Sandy, USA
“My spiritual connection with Gaia (mother nature) is very personal to me. Whenever I go out in nature, I feel her all around me, I feel at peace. When I meditate in nature I feel her trying to reach out to me and she gives me peace. I feel her when it's raining which gives me calmness. I feel her when it's snowing, that for me it feels like a something good is about to happen to me. I feel her when the leaves are falling in the fall, to me it feels like she's letting me know that a chapter in my life is ending soon. One time, I was going through a heart break and suddenly it started raining. It felt so comforting, and it washed away my sadness I had. Deep down I know there's something good stored for me and I’m grateful for that.” -Anonymous, Wauwatosa, USA
“It was the summer of 2018 and the first time I left the country. I was studying abroad in England and felt a little confused and new to everything. I was wandering a lot and not knowing what my place was. In one of these moments of questioning why I was there and what my purpose in life was, I decided I needed to just walk it off. I left the city and walked into the countryside. I listened to music and it started to calm my soul. I remember finding a tree, standing under it, and looking up. I saw the way the sunlight shone through the leaves of the tree and the gentle wind made the leaves dance. The patterns of light shifted along the leaves and along the floor and along the water on the river. This dancing light with all the green and the beautiful river and the bright, warm sunshine—this combination of natural beauty and musical beauty from my headphones provided a moment of connection. I just had this heavy sense that God was aware of me. I didn’t receive any answers in that moment, just a feeling. An “I’m here. I love you.” I felt total awe. I felt awe at God’s love and at how breathtakingly beautiful he made the details of our world. It was a moment when time seemed to freeze. Tears came down my face and it was this moment of deep connection.” -John, Fountain Valley, USA
Ready to have your own divine experience with nature? Try the exercises called “Fingerprints” or “Forest Bathing” from Skylight.
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