LiveDifferent Challenge (5): Go Green for God!

This week many people celebrated Earth Day. I’m sad to say that this year our hectic schedule kept us from really thinking twice about its observance but last year we had SO much fun celebrating. We invited 2 couples over for dinner who lived in nearby neighborhoods. We sent invitations printed on torn off pieces of brown grocery bags (recycled ones!) that read “The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it; the world and allw who live in it” (Psalm 24:1). The rule was that they had to walk to our house, and had to pick up any trash from along the side of the road and bring it with them (these were super fun friends and were into the idea as well!). We ate and drank the earth’s bounty–12-grain homemade bread, fresh local fruit, a green salad with organic dressing, and a vegetarian soup with quinoa and kale. Dessert was fresh strawberries followed by green tea. Yum! It was my dream meal. Afterwards, us girls sat in the sun with the babies, and the boys planted a tree, an apple tree, in our backyard while we cheered them on. It was really a grand time. I wanted to make it an annual party, but considering where we live this year, we don’t have ANY friends who could walk to our house ;-). So perhaps next year.

But all that to say that even us crazy conservative Christians are finally starting to understand that it is godly stewardship to take care of the beautiful Earth that GOD created and gave us dominion over. He’s entrusted this precious creation to us, and what have we done? We’ve either worshipped it or trashed it. Neither is our right response.

I’ve been conscious this week that I don’t want these LiveDifferent Challenges to begin to bog you down. “Another thing” is all you need. I DO want us to be challenged to live a wartime lifestyle–and yes, I’m not buying gun nor clothes and giving to the poor and sharing food with Jesse, etc. etc. and I’m loving it! These little steps are helping me a teeny tiny bit less consumed with myself and more consumed with Christ and His people. But this week I thought we’d just take a week to thank God for His beautiful creation. I was so blessed to spend the weekend up at Menucha, in the Columbia River Gorge. What beauty! It was breathtaking. My bed was in a little nook that cropped out of the wall and overlooked the river–amazing! And taking 3 days to just savor and soak up such beauty was nourishing to my spirit. The camp is owned by a church and in every bathroom there was a little prayer (which I’m kicking myself for not copying down) but the gist of it was this: “Thank you, Creator God, Heavenly Father, for your gift of water that nourishes us, cleanses us, and gives us life. Help us to be good stewards of this gift.” So our simple challenge this week is to enjoy and preserve this gift of earth. Start by enjoying it. Go for a walk, thank God for His creation. Worship Him in the midst of His creation. And secondly, evaluate your lifestyle and see if there is any small way that you can better steward the natural resources around you. Plant a tree. Take shorter showers. Fix leaky faucets. Walk instead of drive. Skip the trip to the store and make do with what you have. For more ideas on ways to Go Green for God, click here. Regardless of one’s political views, it is always right to be good stewards of all that God has given us, which includes the earth.

So have fun with this! Notice the water you drink. If the sun actually comes out this week, wrestle with your kids in the grass. Eat some fruits and vegetables–better yet, plant a garden! Enjoy God’s creation and worship Him for all He has done. Pick up that trash on the side of the road. Go Green … for God.