Cedarville University’s campus has so many beautiful spaces to offer to students, whether for studying, hanging out, hosting events, or getting some good exercise. Wherever you go, the grounds team has made sure to keep the lawns well cultivated and the flowers watered. Each year, after the heat and excitement of summer, returning students and new freshmen enter campus via University Boulevard and are greeted by the flourishing hanging pots and beds of bright flowers. It’s a beautiful place, and I love spending time in it.
Creation and Quiet Time
Not only do the outdoor tables and grassy spaces offer places to eat lunch and to work on assignments, but the outdoor world is also a great place to read your Bible and have some good prayer time. I know for me, being outside while reading Scripture really helps the words come alive. There have been times where I’ve plopped down under a tree and just listened to worship music. God created nature for His glory and our enjoyment.
The Bible says that creation rejoices all around us because of the One who made it. The author of Psalm 96:11–12a said, “Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it!” When we go to meet God in creation, we see Him in a special way.
The Seasons
As the semester passes by, Cedarville’s campus begins to change. Slowly, the trees go from green to an array of oranges, yellows, and browns. The grass starts to die away, and the flowered pots are replaced by beds of tall, autumnal grasses. This is my favorite time of the year! Despite nature losing its vivid green, when the coziness of fall sets in, I couldn’t be happier. Fall on campus offers students the best reminder of God’s artistry. I can’t count the number of times I’ve seen
students taking pictures of an individual leaf they picked up off the ground, just because of its amazing color. It’s the little things during fall — like those leaves or that squirrel running across the sidewalk with a nut in its mouth — that make school so much fun!
Winter might be setting in, but even that offers a beautifully frozen lake and some class cancellations, if you’re lucky. Even when winter comes, we know that spring is just around the corner, and soon the trees will bloom and the geese will have their goslings trailing behind them.
God did not have to give us seasons. We could live in perpetual winter. But He decided to fill the world with change, and Cedarville’s campus shows those changes beautifully if you’re paying attention. So, find that leaf and take that picture just because you found it beautiful!
The Blessing of Outdoor Activities
No matter the time of year, you can always find something to do outside on campus. During the first few weeks of the fall semester, there are numerous spikeball nets set up in the grass, and friends gather to eat lunch or have D-Group meetings under the trees. Me and my friends love taking walks around the lake or heading downtown. Although the campus isn’t too big, there are plenty of fun sidewalks between the trees and around the dorm buildings. One of the main sidewalks heading back towards Tyler offers the best view in the fall, when the trees are changing color and the leaves are covering the ground.
Students are always out and about, running or taking a stroll, when the weather is nice. Getting some exercise whenever you can helps to relax you, and Cedarville’s green spaces offer the perfect opportunity. Whether you’re here on campus or at home, go for a walk and enjoy the beauty!
Genesis 1:11–12
“And God said, ‘Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.’ And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
These verses demonstrate how God created the world in the beginning to be good. Despite the Fall, we can still see much of that goodness in the nature around us, and Cedarville’s campus is a wonderful place to explore it. We have a command to take care of God’s creation, and one of the ways we can do that is by valuing it. God loves it when we enjoy the things He made for us! So go outside today and thank Him for His goodness and creativity!
Name: Gabrielle Larrabee
Major and Year of Graduation: English, class of 2027.
Favorite Study Spot: Orion Coffee and Tea window bar table.
Favorite Music Artist: Sidewalk Prophets, Jorge Rivera-Herrans.
Favorite Quote: “It must seem strange to the heavenly people, who have reached the beautiful End, that we ever call prayer “unanswered” when it is not what we expect. Isn’t no an answer?” Amy Carmichael.
What do You Like to do in Your Free Time? Reading, writing, hiking, watching movies, playing board games, spending time with family.
Favorite Bible Verse: Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
Posted in: Uncategorized