When I am exceptionally weary, a deep longing for the outdoors fills me.  When I finally manage to make it outside into God’s creation in those states of exhaustion, it has at times moved me to joyful tears.

In his book “Wild at Heart,” John Eldredge wrote, “The heart of a man is driven into the high country, into remote places, like a wounded animal looking for cover.”  I recognize that this doesn’t necessarily apply to every man, but it certainly holds true for me.

A longing for the outdoors is actually intuitive for most people; they recognize the need and yearn to be surrounded by natural things.  Not always, necessarily, but often.  Regardless of age, culture, occupation, social or financial status, humans find nature pleasing.  When given a choice, two-thirds of people choose to retreat to a natural setting when tired or stressed.  It seems that the recognition of the benefits of nature is rather natural. 

Studies are supporting this intuition; they are showing that time in nature really does impact people positively.  Not just men or certain men, but everyone.

“Now, a large body of research is documenting the positive impacts of nature on human flourishing—our social, psychological, and emotional life.  Over 100 studies have shown that being in nature, living near nature, or even viewing nature in paintings and videos can have positive impacts on our brains, bodies, feelings, thought processes, and social interactions.  In particular, viewing nature seems to be inherently rewarding, producing a cascade of positive emotions and calming our nervous systems.  These in turn help us to cultivate greater openness, creativity, connection, generosity, and resilience.”  (Kristophe Green and Dacher Keltner – GreaterGood.Berkely.edu)

The data confirming the benefits of time in nature is overwhelming.  However, the reasons why aren’t quite as clear.  The researchers speculate that the benefits may flow from awe.  Feeling awe during a nature experience appears to lower stress and improve one’s general well-being.  Remarkably, it need not be spectacular awe-inspiring vistas like mountains or the ocean to produce positive results; just being in “green spaces” brings benefits. 

And the benefits are arresting.  Being in nature, or even viewing scenes of nature, reduces anger, fear, anxiety and stress in people and produces pleasant feelings.  Creation not only helps one feel better emotionally, but actually contributes to one’s physical health by reducing blood pressure, heart rate, muscle tension, and stress hormones.  Furthermore, God’s great outdoors enhances the immune system and promotes healing!  Even individuals with Attention Deficit Disorder, as well as psychiatric patients, regularly found improvements outside during research.  

Is it any surprise then, in light of these insights, that more and more corporations and even governments are attempting to tap into the benefits of nature?  Some doctors are actually prescribing nature to their patients, as well they should!  It’s an inexpensive prescription – relatively easily attained – with potentially profound results.

Why is this so?  Why does time outside, or even viewing scenes of the outdoors, help humans so much?  Clearly God created us this way, with a deep need for nature. 

Who can know for sure?  However, I can’t help but think of the very first humans and the father and mother of us all.  Adam and Eve were brought to life by God outside in a garden … not in an office or a shopping mall or even a living room.  They weren’t inserted by the Lord into a structure of any kind.  In fact, there weren’t any buildings in God’s new world!  When Adam and Eve first opened their eyes, they saw nature.

I don’t want to make too much of this.  Obviously, Adam and Eve were perfect people living in a perfect world.  It was a drastically different world with an entirely different climate.  Still, God created them outside to live outside, surrounded by the wonders of God’s glorious new creation.  Surely this has at least a little significance in our own makeup, even removed as distantly as we are from them by time and corrupted as we are by sin. 

Every human still has a vestige of the awe Adam and Eve felt as they, with wide-eyes, scanned the exquisite world around them.  Wonder flows from viewing what God has made.  The Bible discusses this very thing:

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge.  They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world”  (Psalm 19:1-4).

When this sin-infected creation is so aesthetic, how magnificent will heaven be?  One day we’ll find out.  When we first open our eyes there, be assured we will experience every bit the awe that Adam and Eve felt at their first glance of creation!  In the meantime, we are drawn to the beautiful things around us – beautiful things which God created and endowed with rejuvenating blessings. 

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?  My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth”  (Psalm 121:1-2).