Beauty of Nature: Hopkins

The genuineness of Hopkins appeals to me. His writings reflect his struggles with keeping his faith. Similar to many Victorian authors, he looks to nature to see God at work. What better way to observe the creator than through His creation!
Nature is merely a thread of the majesty of God and that never ceases to amaze me. I really like to spend time with God outside enjoying His creation. The elaborate design of nature gives me a glimpse of His greatness in a more tangible sense.
Sadly, Hopkins struggled with feeling like his communication with God was like sending a dead letter: one-sided and lacking hope. I believe that Satan likes to use that lie against us. According to the Bible, we are informed that God hears us when we pray and He cares. "For the eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer." (1 Peter 3:12a)
Hopkins descriptions of nature are beautiful and sincere. One of my favorites was Pied Beauty. This poem thanks God for the originality of creation. He thanks God for uniqueness, whether it be in the form of dappling, freckles, or finches' wings. One could translate be thankful for dappled things or freckles as being thankful for things that are not always seen as beautiful or a blessing. Many girls put cover up over freckles, because they see them as an imperfection. A dappled lamb would be considered less valuable. Hopkins sees the beauty in the differences that are portrayed in nature. I think this appeals to me because I am freckled literally and metaphorically. The concept of all people having to fit into cookie cutter expectations kills me. I thank the LORD for uniqueness too.
Spring and Fall expresses that troubles will come in a gentle way. I imagine a parent sitting with a child and explaining that suffering is a natural phase of life and not to become alarmed. Considering Hopkins' pursuit of faith, I am sure he read this passage at one point, but I wonder if this Biblical passage inspired this poem:
Ecclesiastes 3:1-11
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end."
I think I could have been good friends with Hopkins. His struggles are so honestly presented. He is transparent with his readers and so his readers can sense the depth of his emotion. The last poem I want to bring up is Thou Art Indeed Just, Lord. Hopkins' work was never as successful or well-accepted as he desired and he cried out Jeremiah 12:1 to God. He did not understand why sinners were prospering and he was struggling. In the end of the poem, he declares "send my roots rain" (778). This struggle is easy to relate to. Sometimes God's purposes are not obvious to us and we feel weary of waiting. Hopkins' struggle is an example of what most Christians battle with.