Turning of Days: Lessons from Nature, Season, and Spirit

In this enjoyable collection of devotional essays and sketches, Anderson (Humble Roots) challenges Christians to see how “God chooses to reveal Himself through the natural world.” Sharing memories of foraging in the forest with her grandmother and the quiet joys of garden maintenance, Anderson discusses God’s goodness as seen in nature. She examines seasonal changes and how they illustrate “faith in a future we cannot yet see.” Each reflection begins and ends with a Bible verse and a quote from a classical poem, including selections from the poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, William Blake, and Emily Dickinson. Whether she uses the planting of a seed as a metaphor for faith or compares signs of new growth in a cut down tree to Jesus’s resurrection, Anderson shares the many ways the gospels are reflected in nature: “In the end, nature exists for the same reason that you and I do—to praise and rejoice in the God who made us.” Anderson’s meditative collection will appeal to those who enjoy the work of Barbara Brown Taylor. (Jan.)