Positive Thoughts on Earth Day

Okay, so it’s been almost two months since my last post. Where does the time go?

Tomorrow is Earth Day

I have never really celebrated Earth Day because, frankly, the activism (or extreme enthusiasm) sometimes makes me uncomfortable. I don’t like feeling guilty for being a human. I’m part of Earth, too.

Obviously, there have been some horrific abuses of the planet, and I can get pretty worked up when I think about how animals are treated in our food industry or how major corporations abuse the environment. And, I’ll flip out if you even mention the Great Pacific Garbage Patch! But, for those of you who, like me, just don’t want to scream or be mad this year, here are some positive thoughts about God’s creation.

God is happy with what He made

Genesis 1:31 “And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

He takes an active role in the lives of living things

Psalm 104:10-11 “You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills; they give drink to every beast of the field…”
verse 21 “The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God.”
Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.”

He loves animals, but He loves us even more

Matthew 10:29-31 “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs on your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

He made the Earth for us

Psalm 104:14-15 “You cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the Earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man’s heart.”

Suggestions for Earth Day discussions

If you’re planning to have an Earth Day discussion with your students tomorrow, here are a few suggestions for keeping things positive:

• Encourage students to share some of their favorite aspects of nature or some of the most beautiful or interesting things they’ve seen.
• Bring in some flowers, feathers, insects, or pictures of rainbows, clouds, animals, or stars to start a conversation about our awesome Earth.
• Go outside and take a nature walk with your class. Ask students to sit quietly and observe nature. Maybe they can write about or draw what they see.
• Talk to your students about your own love of nature. For example, I’ve got the cutest little strawberry plants in my garden right now. I’m so proud of them! I was just showing my 10-year-old son yesterday every stage of the flower-to-fruit progression. I want him to love all living things so he’ll be more likely to be good a steward of the Earth as he grows up.

Happy Earth Day! Be sure to stop and smell the roses, admire the insects, appreciate the rainbows, listen to the birds, and gaze at the stars. . .

Aloha,
Carla