Have you seen the lovely pink flowers blooming all over the island? The soft-hued blooms are flowers of the trumpet tree, and come in colours ranging from delicate white to deep pink.

Nicknamed “Singapore’s cherry blossoms”, the flowers appear around April and September, after heavy rains that follow a hot and dry spell.

Being a lover of nature, I can’t help halting in wonderment every time I see these beautiful flowers. In fact, I’ve loved nature ever since I was a child and it still thrills me today.

So with last year’s circuit breaker, I started walking in places I had never walked before. Since exercising was one of the only legal activities we were allowed to do, I went everyday.

One of my favourite places to visit was Sentosa. I would begin from the boardwalk behind VivoCity, and by the time the walk ended, the sun would have set.

Perhaps the pandemic has given you a similar experience, and maybe spending time outdoors has become a new part of your routine. Maybe you have learnt things from it too. 

For me, I’ve certainly learnt several things. Here are three lessons I’ve observed from nature.

3 LESSONS FROM WALKING IN GOD’S BEAUTIFUL WORLD

1. There’s a season for everything

Do you remember the Bible passage that goes, “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1)?

I believe nature exemplifies this passage.

While we don’t live in a temperate climate with different seasons, I am sure we all understand the dynamics of changing seasons. Seasons come and go, and when we are given the opportunity to live in yet another one, why not make the most of it?

We can be confident that when a season we thoroughly enjoy draws to a close, there will always be something to look forward to. Isn’t that exciting?

Last February, I went on a semester exchange to Sydney, Australia.

I had looked forward to many things, among which included going on treks, camping, stargazing and picking up surfing.

While I was supposed to stay for months, I only stayed for five weeks. Since I had expected to stay for a long period, I took time to settle down and did not do much on my itinerary.

Yet, leaving Sydney on the order of my university after the coronavirus broke out was not a struggle.

Even to myself, this came as a surprise — I should have been upset, this was something I had looked forward to!

But I had peace in my heart. While I wouldn’t get the student exchange experience I wanted to have, God is faithful, and I have my whole life to look forward to. I don’t have to worry about what I am missing out on because I trust that good things are in store for me.

I remembered Jeremiah 29:11, which says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’” declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'” It’s a verse that I hold close to my heart, one that reminds me of God’s hand in my journey.

Even if things don’t always go as I would like, I can trust that everything is in God’s control. Ultimately, God’s plan for me stands strong.

Even if things don’t always go as I would like, I can trust that everything is in God’s control.

So instead of thinking about what a glorious time I could have had, I chose to be thankful for the weeks I spent in Sydney, and for my family and friends, who I knew were healthy and safe despite the pandemic.

A new season had begun for me when I returned to Singapore. Like many others, it was a time of connection. I went for walks with my father every evening — something we had never done so regularly before. I enjoyed the company of the people around me, and cherished the simple things.

And while I had to return early, I was allowed to complete the rest of the semester online, and so I continued to foster relationships with the people I had met through the remaining semester. 

2. There is a purpose behind all things

Not only does everything have a season, everything also has a purpose. Look at the creatures and plants in nature. Everything serves a role in its ecosystem.

In a similar way, the things that happen to us, people and situations that God has allowed in our lives may all be there for a reason.

Looking at my family — my ecosystem — God has put a wonderful mother in my life who cares for me and grows me.

But things are not always perfect. Sometimes, we end up challenging one another in our little ecosystem.

Going on exchange, I experienced independence and freedom like I had never before. For once, I felt like an adult.

I was free to choose when and what I wanted to eat. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and return home whenever I deemed good — without having to tell anyone of my whereabouts. 

Not that I returned home later than 8 pm on a regular basis, or that I indulged in food I was usually not allowed to. It was just the newfound independence that excited me, the feeling that I had a choice even if it was about small things. 

I learnt to let go. It didn’t matter who was right. I learnt to love her, to understand her and to compromise. 

So when I came home from overseas, things went back to the way they used to be. I had by then, however, also developed a habit of making tea as a form of relaxation.

That meant my mother started asking me what time I wanted to go to the kitchen, and I saw it as having to make appointments just to boil some water and to grab some snacks from the fridge.

To be fair, it came from a good place. She loves things clean, and she doesn’t like me to clean up after myself because she cares for me and wants my hands to remain smooth, and because she prefers things to be clean the way she likes it. 

But I suddenly felt restricted. No longer could I go to the kitchen to make popcorn, my favourite snack, any moment I had the craving. I couldn’t cook like I used to, and I had to make sure that when I wanted a snack, I made the least mess possible.

I grew bitter in my heart. I was upset that I no longer had the independence I used to enjoy.

My bitterness came out in remarks to my mother, which were usually not so nice. Things boiled over one day when I asked her if she could stop controlling my life. She was furious. 

But that was when I began to see that I had been selfish. I only cared about how I was feeling and refused to understand my mother because I felt she was in the wrong. 

Through the experience, I learnt to let go. It didn’t matter who was right. I learnt to love her, to understand her and to compromise. 

God helped me to grow into a better person through this experience. It was all about perspective. If I constantly saw my mother as infringing on my rights, it would  be easy for me to feel unhappy.

But when I set that aside, I found that I could be very happy, no matter the circumstance.

Through it all, I learnt that there is a purpose behind every happy or difficult experience. In God’s hand, each one can help us to become better people and grow into the person God has meant for us to be.

It all depends on how we receive the people and situations that come into our lives, and how we choose to respond to them.

3. Wherever you are, be all there

We live in such a fast-paced society that “doing” has become the norm. When we have nothing to do, such as when we are commuting somewhere, it sometimes feels weird if we don’t pull out our phones, if we just stand without doing anything.

Personally, I do like to fill up my time while travelling. I reply texts, read the Bible or just search for stuff on the Internet.

But I also see the value in just being. To be in each moment. To take time to pause. To be conscious. To reflect.

Walking in nature reminds me that, sometimes, to be is better than to do.

The natural world that God created is not in a rush. There is a certain rhythm to everything, and the gentle breeze through the trees reminds me to slow down — to pause.

But it doesn’t always come naturally. I have to make it a habit to save time in the day to stop what I am doing and take time to stand in my balcony, or look out the window and just breathe in the air, taking in the surroundings.

For me, I find that these little pockets of time where I take a break from my work actually helps keep me motivated and focused.

It keeps me present, and to remember to live — that I am not just a robot accomplishing tasks.

Instead of rushing to do things, I intentionally reminded myself to be present in each situation and, suddenly, I no longer felt the stress I had been feeling. 

The semester after my exchange in Sydney was a busy one. I had picked up new hobbies, and spent about two hours a day on extra-curricular activities. Often in a rush, I tried to complete my school work quickly so that I could have more time on my hobbies. I felt that I had no time.

Then one day, I went on a run with my best friend. We used to go regularly, but had stopped because of the circuit breaker. Taking the time out in nature recharged and inspired me, and the remaining semester was so much more enjoyable as I began to take more time to be present.

Instead of rushing to do things, I intentionally reminded myself to be present in each situation and, suddenly, I no longer felt the stress I had been feeling. 

Think about the fields where plants are grown. Did you know that the ground has to rest, that every so often the land must be allowed to fallow? We can apply something similar to our walk with God.

As we journey in life, we need to intentionally set aside time to delve in God’s word, to truly be in the Christian community and to simply rest in His presence.

Just like how the ground has to be left alone, it benefits us to keep our Sabbath and rest from work to spend time with God.

So instead of always doing things, why not pause and be in His presence? When we do so, we may find that each time we rest, we are refreshed from God Himself!