Learning contentment is a lifetime process. We are surrounded by a 'buy now' society, and a 'keep up with the Jones' society.' In that kind of society it is difficult to learn contentment. We no sooner have one thing than something 'better' comes along, and we 'need' to have that! Neighbors and others judge us by outward appearances, rarely taking the time to get beneath the surface to know the real us. They don't have time. They are too rushed to get to know us, or to appreciate the small things in life that are free. Too rushed to enjoy God's creation the way he had in mind.

One way to learn contentment is to take time each day to go out into God's creation and just sit and enjoy it. Don't do anything; just be in the moment, noticing what is going on around you and the beauty that God has created. After a week of this, you will not be the same. You will find yourself calming down. You will feel more in the present. More one of creation, rather than distant from it.

I have noticed some people feel really uncomfortable with this activity. They have been so divorced from nature all their life that they have no way to relate to it. They cannot sit still and appreciate it. They don't know what to do with it. They are used to doing. God does not always call us to do. He does, however, call us to be. To be sons and daughters of God, sisters and brothers to Christ. We cannot be those things if we do not know the nature of God and his character. What better way to get to know God's character, than to get to know his creation!

If you are one of those people uncomfortable in nature, start with something simple - five minutes in the backyard doing absolutely nothing. Close your eyes, take deep breaths, and just listen to what is going on around you. As you are able to sit silent for longer periods, walk or go to a nearby park, noticing the variety of plants and wildlife along the way. And as you grow more comfortable in the park, take yourself to a wild recreation area, like a hiking trail, and practice the same thing there.

Be sure to prepare by taking water, an orange, some chocolate and nuts for energy. Focus on slowing down your breathing and taking deep breaths of fresh air. You will find yourself relaxing. Once you relax, thank God for what he has provided and marvel at how content the other creatures of his creation are without all the trappings of the human race!

I grow frustrated with people who spend a weekend on the downhill ski slope and think they've interacted with nature. They have not. They have interacted with a man controlled section of nature. they go to a nice ski lodge when they've had enough of nature. Or to a ski hill town complete with upper class stores and restaurants. Real nature is far different.

When I talk about getting out in nature, I'm talking about getting away from all human establishments...into an area where you have to depend on yourself for survival. Where you can look around and see no sign of human life around you, except maybe the trail in front of you and what you are carrying.

A lot of people ask me 'what do you do in nature?' I had a psychiatrist tell me once that the only reason people went camping was to drink and party! As I grew up spending three months of the year living in the bush with my Christian family, I had to overcome my immediate reaction to take that as a direct insult. I felt sorry for her that she had obviously never enjoyed time spent in the wilderness.

My father was a wildlife biologist. It was his job to do field work in nature every year, and he took the whole family with him. What did we do?

• We read,
• We wrote,
• Went birdwatching,
• Picked wild berries,
• Hiked the hills,
• Helped Dad with his work,
• Helped Mom with her work,
• Learned to cook on an outdoor fire,
• Learned camp skills,
• Including digging the hole for the outhouse!
• We collected plants and pressed them.
• We went swimming in ponds.
• We played in the creeks.
• We built a dam for water in the creek.
• We lay out in the back of the truck at night and counted falling stars.
• We made bannock and molasses popcorn over the campfire.
• We helped Mom make doughnuts on the old Coleman stove.
• We listened to Dad's students tell stories by the campfire.
• We took turns scaring each other on the trip to the outhouse (okay, what do you expect from siblings?!).
• We drew nature.
• We learned to whittle wood.
• We played games.
  
• We learned to live with nature, not rub against it.
• We learned to appreciate what God gave us.

Learning to be in nature is an art and a process. One of the skills that makes it easier is being able to name or label things around you. Once you know what it is, you are less wary of it. I learned plant identification, bird identification, and animal identification. I learned to look at the sky and know when to come back to base camp...at 4 p.m. every day usually. That's when we'd have our afternoon thunderstorm. I learned to tell when a sandstorm was coming. I learned the constellations in the heavens (at least, some of them!). I learned to marvel at all God had created, and realized how puny I really was in all of his creation. I learned humility and wonder. And I loved the fact we got to picnic three meals every day! Though I wasn't fond of the hornets who wanted to eat our meals.

Learning to be in nature helps us understand nature. Understanding nature helps us understand the character and nature of God. It gives us a whole new perspective on what we truly need in this lifetime. So my challenge to you is to spend as much time in nature as you do shopping, and see how God changes you.