Why Get Outside?
If you are not an outdoor person, you should become one.Seriously, the benefits of getting outside into nature are massive. Study after study has demonstrated this. Spending time in nature reduces stress, improves sleep, boosts immunity, alleviates anxiety, and promotes mental and physical health, and restores your view of the world, your place in it, and the problems you are up against, with renewed perspective. Did you know that just a walk through tall trees immediately increases memory by as much as 20%? The natural world is a kind of therapy that has its greatest effect when utilized frequently and regularly.
Spending time in nature reduces stress, improves sleep, boosts immunity, alleviates anxiety, promotes mental and physical health, and restores your view of the world, your place in it, and the problems you are up against, with renewed perspective.
Every Bible character who impacted others for good loved and spent time outdoors. Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, etc. Paul retreated to the wilderness before launching his church-planting ministry. Nature was Jesus’ go-to reprieve. Had there been a Disney back in the day, I really doubt that Jesus would have been drawn to it. But he was drawn to the wilderness.Why? The natural world was created by God to be our nest, our source of physical and emotional life. There’s nothing like this planet anywhere else in the universe. The trees, hills, vegetation, rivers, lakes, blue sky, sunshine, and puffy clouds, were all created by God as a home for his crown of creation – people. The natural world was created by God as a gift for you.Have you opened and are you enjoying that gift?Get away and spend some time outside this summer! Come to Camp Awana! We still have a few (only a few) cabins available for Family Camp (something Linda and I raised our kids doing). We have opportunities for you to volunteer. Volunteering at Camp enables you to connect with other believers while serving, and you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy the beauty of God’s creation at Camp.You’ve seen enough TV. You’ve played enough video games. You’ve experienced enough of the city. Now it’s time to get into the world that God created for you, to foster your emotional and mental health. It’s time to go outside, get into nature, and discover the refreshment that Jesus loved.Come to Camp Awana!