Welcome to Sophie's Nature Art!

Welcome to the most cheerful and colorful scene in the picture!

The pink blossoms of the trees are intended to express joy and vitality, which are the typical side effects of a personal encounter with God.

A day with Jesus!

Imagine you could spend a day with Jesus. What would you want to do with him? What would you ask him?

I think I would just listen to him for a while, listen to the sound of his voice and watch him teach - his facial expressions, his gestures. It would probably be enough for me to accompany Jesus through his everyday life and observe him. How does he interact with people? How does he look at them? How does he behave? What does he say to them? How does he say what? I would also like to take a walk through nature with Jesus. I'd like him to explain all the images and parables that I so easily overlook. Or an anatomy lesson with Jesus! As a therapist, I like to study how the human body works. Whenever I read something about this, I am always amazed at how ingenious and highly complex everything is. It's so easy to get lost in the smallest details. There is no end to what you can discover! And if we were then taught by the creator of this masterpiece himself, how many new insights we would gain. After an anatomy lesson with Jesus, we would probably have the feeling that we know even less than before, because we would have realized how little we have understood so far.

The parable of the flower

Our hiker is now also allowed to spend a little time with the great God of the universe. When the two of them have left the sea of worries, Jesus takes the opportunity to teach the hiker a few lessons from nature. He points to the beautiful variety of flowers growing in the meadow they are walking along. Jesus points out their simple beauty. We humans often walk past them carelessly or even trample them unnoticed. But how much we can learn from these little flowers! Some grasses and flowers are very tenacious. They fight their way through hard ground or even asphalt towards the light. No resistance can discourage or stop them. How easily such a flower can be crushed. But when it grows, it breaks through the hardest materials. It cannot do this on its own. This is only possible through the power of God. So we must not allow ourselves to be encouraged by adverse circumstances. The flower does not think about the hard ground, its goal and focus is only on the light. This gives it the strength to break through. It also directs its blossom towards the sun. So it always remains turned towards the light. In the same way, we must always focus on Jesus and follow him, just as the flower follows the light and grows towards it.

A flower does not just live for itself. Its nectar supplies the insects and is therefore a small part of a much larger cycle. In the same way, every person, no matter how small and insignificant they may feel, has a role to play in the great work of God. If the flowers were to consider themselves too insignificant and weak and hang their heads in sorrow, the whole system of God would collapse. Therefore, everyone should do what God has laid at his feet, no matter how insignificant it may seem in his eyes.

There is so much more to say about the flowers, but that would go beyond the scope of this article.

What we can learn from the lily

Jesus plucks a lily and hands it to the wanderer: „Do you remember the Bible text from my Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew? There I talked about worrying. You also had a little difficulty with worry. Take a closer look at this lily. Can you see its curved, harmoniously shaped leaves? Can you see the calyx with its pistils? They are perfectly symmetrical. Look at the beautiful color gradient inside the flower? This flower is simple, yet elegant and impressive in its own way. I have seen Solomon in his most glorious garments. As you know, he was the richest and wisest king who ever lived on earth. I myself gave the weavers and seamstresses their gifts to sew the most magnificent garments for him. But all these human works cannot compete with the harmony and beauty of my creation. These flowers do not care whether they are pretty or not. They do not live to receive wealth, beauty, recognition, power and love. Their existence serves the honor of their creator and the continuation of his created world. They do not live for themselves. They live to give. By sharing their nectar with the insects and thus giving away a part of themselves, the cycle in nature continues. But the insects that fly from flower to flower also ensure the survival of their own species through pollination. But this is not the primary goal of the lily.

So you can learn a lot from this lily. Like her, you don't need to worry about your appearance. I have created you as you should be. Sometimes sin leaves traces, but these will be erased on the new earth. You are my masterpiece! I have given you a unique character with many gifts and talents. There is so much potential in you that I want to unfold in you! Just as the lily turns towards the sun, all you have to do is always turn towards me and I will make you into what I created you to be. Trust me! You don't have to worry about your food, your clothes or your work. Put your focus on my work. I will take care of everything else. Worries always arise when you try to do what I actually want to take care of. I have my part of the work and you have your part of the work. Use your gifts and talents faithfully in my service and I will take care of the rest. Of course, this requires a little trust. But we can practise that together. I'll help you with the training!“

The parable of the flowering tree

Jesus and the wanderer now come to a bench under the blossoming cherry trees. There, Jesus tells him more parables about the vanity of beauty. The trees only blossom for a brief moment and then the blossoms are gone for the rest of the year. The beauty of people is just as fleeting. Jesus points the wanderer to the strong roots of the tree. They dig deep into the earth to draw water and nutrients. In order to bear much fruit, faith must be deeply rooted in the earth, i.e. in Jesus. Without nutrients and water, i.e. Bible study, prayer and the Holy Spirit, spiritual life and growth are not possible.

Jesus tells the wayfarer many more such parables. The wanderer listens attentively.

Questions and doubts

After a while, Jesus begins to talk about the rest of the journey. He explains to the wanderer what was still to come and how he should prepare for it. He gives him many useful tips. The wanderer wants to know how much longer his journey is. Jesus smiles encouragingly at him: „It depends on your perspective. When I look down from the sky onto the narrow path, I can hardly see it, it's so short. From your perspective, of course, it seems much longer. But the next time the path seems infinitely long, try to look at it from the perspective of eternity. Then it will help you to make good progress. The path of sanctification in particular seems endless to many. Some wonder whether they are making any progress at all. This is precisely where it is important to keep the goal and the heavenly perspective in mind. Thinking like this is a good remedy against discouragement.“

The wanderer still has a few questions for Jesus. There is still so much he does not understand. When he thinks back to the dangers and how often he had almost lost his life, doubts arise in him about God's care and omnipotence. Jesus patiently answers the wanderer's questions and explains them to him from his perspective.

This ingenious God!

The wanderer is astonished to realize that Jesus is right about everything. God had never abandoned him. Rather, it had always been his own unbelief that had gotten him into trouble. God wanted to save him from many things. But he was often so stubborn that he went his own way. God went along with the detours and even prevented the worst consequences. The wanderer marvels at God's patience, kindness and heartfelt mercy, which he had previously had with him as an erring sinner. He sees the character of God with new eyes! What a kind and ingenious being this God is! Love for his Creator and Redeemer flows through the heart of the wanderer. From now on, he wanted to firmly anchor all of God's good deeds in his memory so that he would never forget them!

The two talk to each other for a long time. The wanderer's heart burns within him. The longer he talks to Jesus, the more intimate their relationship becomes. The wanderer wonders how he could ever have taken pleasure in anything else. All the things of this world now seem so hollow and worthless to him. He has only seen a little of the greatness and beauty of God. But that alone is enough to make his heart overflow with love, happiness and peace. He had tried so much in this world to find this. He was always emptier afterwards than before. But here with Jesus, the joy and peace increased more and more the closer he came to him.