Taking Care of Planet Earth

Praying over the city in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

August 14, 2018

This morning I didn’t go on my ride. Instead I woke up at 6 a.m., started my prep, looked in the mirror, and asked God, “Can I sleep in?” I just about audibly heard, “Rest my child.” 😉

Rest is good. We need those quiet moments of reflection. We need time to recharge our batteries. The Gospels talk frequently of how Jesus left the crowds for time alone to pray. I never used to take time to just be—always working—always pushing—and darn it if I wasn’t even more stressed and crabby. So, today I added a bit more rest, some taking care of me, and I feel good.

The picture below was taken a few days ago. On that day I wrote about racism, but I knew this photo would come in handy—the smoke in the right side really captured my attention. I’m unsure what was there or what was happening, but my immediate and distinct thought was, “We need to take care of the earth.” And frankly, the job we’ve done so far isn’t so great.

We’ve got the wild fires in California. Granted, it’s a natural disaster, but scientists are saying the lack of rain is due to climate change caused by global warming, and before you get all, “There is no global warming…” This is the thing—we don’t know. We really don’t know the effects of all we’ve done to this glorious, self-sustaining planet. What I do know, and what any rational brain considers, is pumping toxic chemicals into the air, land, and sea in untold amounts can’t be good.

There’s the Starbuck’s straw debate, considered ridiculous by some, but what is not ridiculous is how much plastic we have out there, and even to recycle it is adding risk to our environment. We are converting land that was set to be preserved and allowing more factories and industry to be built. Heck, there are coyotes roaming Saint Paul because these lovely creatures have nowhere else to go that has the same food source.

These are real problems, and I consider my own consumption and output all the time. I recycle and reuse as much as I can and I’m proud I bike and walk as much as I do, then my very own millennial daughter says, “Mom, we are way past being able to do something about that.” NO-no-no-no, please say it isn’t so. We can’t be past the point of no return. Any hope we have of environmental recovery lies in each and every one of us caring about this planet’s future and doing our part.

Dear Heavenly Father, you have given us the greatest blessing of all—this beautiful, self-sustaining planet that provides all our needs. Help us to see the things we can do to protect and nurture it. It is a gift from You and we honor You by the way we treat all the blessings You’ve provided. Change can be hard, and this one requires we all do it, all over the globe, so Lord, start moving hearts and minds to make the changes necessary to protect this planet and all the people and life upon it. In Your Mighty Name…

Yup, taking care of ourselves and the Earth feels good! WOO HOO! Have a blessed day peeps. Praying for you. <3