
By Brenda Groves
The Post Newspaper Contributing Writer
I grew up in the country, and with acres of woods to explore on our property, there were endless opportunities to discover all creatures great and small.
Many summer days I would dart out the door with nothing more than a canteen of cherry KoolAid, a “bug” jar, and a good digging stick to see what I could unearth.
I could hear my mother holler after me, “Have a good time honey, but be careful, and be home way before dark. Don’t go
past the Huntington property, and, oh, hey Brenda, Brenda, BRENDA!!!” “WHAAAAAT?” (I know, I should have gotten a whippin’ for that response,and if Dad were nearby to hear I probably would have.)
“Watch for snakes and Brown Recluses!! If you don’t know what it is, just leave it alone!”
“Okaaaay.”
It was during these times outdoors, listening to the birds, watching the clouds float by, or feeling a cool breeze blow across my face, that I could feel the presence of God most clearly. In these quiet times I became aware of His existence, because I knew deep inside there was a God. (Everyone is born with this intuitive knowledge to seek Him and He is not far away from any of us. He is as close as our breath. Romans Cpt. 1 & 2).
I would marvel at His awesome creation, and wondered how He thought up each one (No human imagination could outdo His mind. Oh, we can copy and mutate off of His originals, but mankind does not have the ability, authority or power to
create even a “simple” blade of grass. Every living thing is regenerated and multiplied “according to its kind” and comes from seeds that God first created. Gen. Chpt. 1). Just the soft blue sky, and rays of sunshine streaming through the trees mesmerized me and kept my attention for hours.
I listened to the variety of birds all singing different tunes, but somehow coming together in harmony. You know, all of us can sense the nearness of God’s presence during
quiet times (Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! Psalms 46:10).
Just as my mind would be drifting into deep thought about Him … suddenly … “OUCH!!!” Ah, beautiful thoughts about our Creator rudely interrupted as a sharp, blood sucking needle pierced tender skin.
“Stupid mosquito!!!!”
My mind is suddenly jolted back, and reminded about the hostile environment that we live in. I would also quickly scan my surroundings for those snakes, and deadly spiders Mom warned about.
On these things I would see battles to the death between wasps and spiders. I witnessed the carcasses of bugs being torn apart by colonies of ants. Studied the bones of dead animals, and heard those same song birds cry out in distress while
trying to defend their nest against predators.
I, myself, suffered stings, bites, cuts, bruises, scraped knees, falls, sprains, and heart pounding fears in normal childhood experiences.
As many people do, I started questioning God. “Why?” “Why must being alive hurt so much?” “Why did You make it that way?”And of course, as I grew older I understood that there were different levels of suffering, but still, .why?
Then in 1996 at 33 years of age, I chose to reach out by faith and receive Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I was born again in the spirit, (made alive through Christ) and reconciled back to God in the Spirit. I also received, by faith, the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Several years later, is when my heart/understanding really began to open up to the spiritual world around us. The Lord Jesus started teaching me through the Bible, and answering questions I have had since childhood. Not all, but many of my questions have been answered through His Holy Spirit quickening the absolute truth of His word.
For one things are not evolving, but rather de-evolving from the pristine conditions that God created us.
Let’s face it, the natural course of things are not going from bad to good, but from good to bad, and new to old. This is the result of the fallen state that our world is subject to now.
Creation did not start out as hostile, and death did not exist. When sin was introduced into the world through the deception of Satan, it infected EVERY living thing on the face of the earth (“The wages of sin is death.” Rom. 6:23).
Man’s core nature became evil. Creation started attacking, and developing ways to defend itself and became carnal, and this has trickled down to every living creature. Nature, placed here by God, to be helpful and beautiful turned on man, just as man turned on man.
Knowledge, and self awareness may be escalating, but when mankind cut itself off from God we became spiritually dead, and alienated ourselves from the life in Him that He created us for (“All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” John 1:3).
“Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God … ” 1 Cor. 3:18-21.
The Bible teaches us that when God created the world He saw to it that we would have the perfect, safe environment to live in. So, instead of forming our own opinions about God and trying to guess “WHY”, get to know Him through His Son Jesus Christ, growing in the knowledge of Him through His Word, the Bible.
And not all technological advances are evil, but “professing to be wise, they became fools,” Rom. 1:22-25, so remember to give God all the glory for the good things. Because when God first created the earth He made sure that … “it was
good.”
So it is only fitting that man needed to invent mosquito spray. And I am so grateful to God for that.
(P. S. Gen. Chpt. 1:29-30 also explains that man and beast were not created to be meat eaters.Though I so enjoy a juicy cheeseburger or tender steak!)
Contact Brenda Groves at: bkgroves1996@yahoo.com