The Beautiful Things That Nature Provides

The Beautiful Things That Nature Provides

May your happiness never be chained
To treasures that glitter and fade;
For if your joy depends on possessions alone,
You will miss the wonders God has made.

You’ll never cherish the morning breeze
That cools the earth at break of day;
Nor pause to admire the hillside flowers
That bloom in quiet, bright array.

You’ll overlook the birds that sing
Their cheerful hymns from branch and tree;
The beasts that roam in nature’s care,
The rivers rushing to the sea.

The rain will seem a hateful foe
That interrupts your hurried quest;
And you will curse the shining sun
Whose warmth was given to bless.

You’ll pass the lame man by the road
Whose outstretched hand pleads silently;
The blind whose child becomes her eyes,
Guiding her through uncertainty.

You’ll scarcely think about the mute
Who struggles hard to make needs known;
Nor those whose bodies writhe in pain
On hospital beds, weak and alone.

Your thoughts will never wander near
The prisoner’s dim and lonely cell,
Where some await another’s word
To determine whether they fare well.

Consumed by things you do not own,
You’ll grieve for what remains denied;
And nothing good in others’ lives
Will soothe the hunger born of pride.

Yet have you thought that some desires
May never rest within your hand?
Not for lack of prayer or diligence,
Nor failure to fulfil life’s demands.

The One who orders all your days,
Who sees the end before the start,
Knows what is good and sufficient
For your journey and your heart.

Food and shelter, health and strength,
Clothing for the passing years,
A soul that prospers in God’s grace—
These are blessings beyond compare.

The rest are gifts that may be given,
Or withheld by wisdom from above;
Their absence should not steal your joy
Nor blind your eyes to God’s great love.

So look around, my friend, and see
The countless wonders nature brings:
The scented flowers after rain,
The music of the flowing springs.

Behold the forests clothed in green,
The creatures dwelling wild and free;
The clouds that march across the sky,
The vast and ever-restless sea.

Observe the seasons as they turn—
The wet and dry, the cold and warm;
Each bearing witness to the hand
That guides creation through each storm.

And while you marvel at the world,
Remember this enduring truth:
Among the gifts that God has made
Are hearts adorned with love and truth.

So lift your eyes from earthly wants,
And let contentment be your guide;
For richest is the soul that sees
The beautiful things nature provides.

-Oluseyi Ogunbanwo.