Yes, I Admit it

I am a tree hugging, granola eating, earth loving girl. I have been and always will be. I have always believed we are all connected to each other and to this amazing place God created called Earth. We are all His creation made for Him and by Him. Five days to create such amazing beauty. Each day had it's purpose. Each day completed the previous. Earth! Beautiful! Perfect! Then came the sixth day. Filled with beauty and promise. Man and beast came. Awesome. Now it's complete. Earth! Everything on Earth! Beautiful! Perfect! Complete!

I always believed that all God created was meant for each other. For us to take care of the earth and for the earth to take care of us. ( Yes, I know God is our ultimate provider). What we do to the Earth, our land, our water, will have an impact on us. It is impossible for it not to. Do floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes not effect us? Then how is it we can not believe how we choose to live our lives will effect the earth, then in turn effect us. I see a big circle.

For those of you who are actually still reading this past the 2nd sentence, I am going somewhere with this I promise. It wasn't until I went to Africa that I saw first hand how important this relationship really is.

Here is what should be one of the most beautiful places on earth. Natural rock bridge, plants, monkeys, a stream. Until you get close enough to smell and see. The water is filled with trash, carcasses of all living beasts, poop, and disease.
In this picture you can see the trash literally avalanching into the water.

I love the locals gathering on the bridge watching the crazy woman examine the water. You can't see them but down the stream were two men. They were rummaging through the water to find trash or fish that they could take home to their family. Next to them was someone going to the bathroom and down a little more people were bathing. On top of the hill kids were playing. My heart was screaming, "STOP, YOU'RE KILLING YOURSELVES." You are throwing trash into the same water you drink from, bathe from, and fish from. I wondered do they know? Do they care? But more importantly in such poverty is there a choice? Here in America, I can, I have the luxury of knowing, of caring, of choosing. I can tell my kids wash your hands, pee in the toilet, have my trash collected and be totally ignorant of where it goes, clean my dishes, and buy filtered water even though I probably don't need it, I can bury my dead relatives, call the city to dispose of my road kill, file a complaint about the driver in front of me who tossed their latte out the window. While I was there it crossed my mind to start cleaning up all the crappola, but then what? Where will I put it? In the trash can? Are you kidding me? Poverty, deforestation, wealth, plunder of our natural resources are all connected. Don't get me wrong I know our God is a God of abundance, the great multiplier. Just look at the apple, one apple, tons of seeds, each with the promise of more apples. But I also believe to whom much is given, much is required. Much has been given and what are we or more accurately me, myself and I, What am I doing? I don't even know where to start, do you?


This is one of those posts that I'm attaching my "disclaimer" to.

*Dear reader of my blog, these are my thoughts and my opinions. If you find me selfish, irritating, too far left, too far right, too open, too shallow, non politically correct, too politically correct, too Christian, not Christian enough, have too many children, not enough children, too fat, too thin, pissed that I don't homeschool, worried if I do homeschool, can't believe I eat meat, think I'm starving my children if we are vegetarians, hate me that I like Obama, curse me if I vote McCain, accuse me of polluting the environment if I don't drive a hybrid, call me granola that I buy organic or don't like me at all, then may I suggest you give yourself a tree loving, oil coveting, athestistic hug in the name of Christ and quietly read someone else's blog.*

This post is dedicated to my dad. A man who has spent the majority of his life in the pursuit of an answer.