--- title: Nature Helps Our Children Connect With God description: Charisse Tierney considers what her children have learned about God through their enjoyment of nature's wonders.  image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20210316%20CTierney.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/nature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god#) [PARENTING](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/parenting) # Nature Helps Our Children Connect With God Mar 16, 2021 11:30:00 AM  |  by [Charisse Tierney](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/charisse-tierney) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20210316%20CTierney.jpg) *Charisse Tierney considers what her children have learned about God through their enjoyment of nature's wonders. * > To become sensible of oneness with the Divine heart before any sense of separation has been felt, this is surely the most beautiful way for the child to find God. (from *Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm* by Kate Douglas Wiggin) I watch her frolicking through the leaves, delighting in the crunch beneath her feet. My other young daughter bends low to the ground, trying to see how many acorns she can fit on top of one rock. My instinct to hurry them along and move forward with our “real” science lesson is pushed away by the joyful intensity in their eyes. It seems to take mountains to do for me what one tiny acorn can do for my 2-year-old. That feeling that takes my breath away and makes my heart pound a little faster, that startling beauty of the view from the highest mountain peak, and that filling up that comes from drinking in the majesty of the natural world is elusive for me. But I see it in my youngest children’s eyes when they look closely at an acorn, or a flower, or a rock. They know they are becoming sensible of their oneness with the Divine heart. They connect with the work of God’s hands. It wasn’t long ago that they were the ones being formed by His genius -- they were the petals that were being unfurled at His fingertips. And how naturally this leads to listening with the ear of their hearts. How easily they can hear the voice of God when gently nudged to pay attention. It isn’t hard to hear His voice when they are so accustomed to seeing His works.   > [It isn’t hard to hear His voice when they are so accustomed to seeing His works. #catholicmom](https://ctt.ac/Peva7) Instead of hurrying them along, I respect their sacred observations. I watch and I learn. I see the beauty of a rock and the majesty of an acorn. And I do everything I can to delay any sense of separation from the One who created all before me. ![girl with blue eyes peeking out from behind large red maple leaf](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20210316%20CTierney%202.jpg?width=1350&name=20210316%20CTierney%202.jpg)   --- Copyright 2021 Charisse Tierney Image: [Pixabay](https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pixabay.com/images/id-2607176/&sa=D&source=calendar&usd=2&usg=AOvVaw0NqQAdeApOb2sts8Z6Wm6p) (2015) ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fnature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fnature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fnature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Nature%20Helps%20Our%20Children%20Connect%20With%20God) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fnature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fnature-helps-our-children-connect-with-god%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Charisse Tierney](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/Contriubutors/CHARISSE%20TIERNEY.jpeg) ### [Charisse Tierney](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/charisse-tierney) Charisse Tierney lives in Wichita, Kansas, with her husband Rob and seven children. Charisse is a stay-at-home mom, musician, NFP teacher, and a Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechist. She is also a contributing author to *The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion* and *Family Foundations* magazine. Charisse blogs at [Paving the Path to Purity](http://pavingthepathtopurity.wordpress.com/) and can be found on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/pavingthepathtopurity). ## Related Blog Articles [ Her NFP Chart Told Her Something The Doctors Couldn't Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2015/03/26/her-nfp-chart-told-her-something-the-doctors-couldnt) [ NFP—Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/2013/12/18/nfp-not-all-its-cracked-up-to-be) [ Stooping Down: How My Youngest Children Teach Me To Pray Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/stooping-down-how-my-youngest-children-teach-me-to-pray) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! 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