Caring for God's Creation

When I was in seventh grade, I wrote an essay proclaiming that God would end the world in His time and nothing we did to the earth would speed up or slow down that process, therefore, I would proudly continue to use my aerosol hairspray, thank-you-very-much. (I think my science teacher wanted to wring my neck!)

I have always been rather bold in my assertions when writing.

THANKFULLY, I have matured beyond where I was as an awkward junior high girl. I no longer need aerosol hairspray to get my bangs to stand up several inches over my forehead. Whew! I think I've also gained some considerable wisdom since then. Aren't we all glad we have matured beyond where we were in junior high!?

I still believe that God will end the world in His time and that nothing we do to the earth will speed up or slow down the process, but I also believe that God would have us care for the gift of His creation.

God gave man dominion over His creation, but as the wise saying goes, with this great freedom, comes great responsibility.

Genesis 1:27-28 - So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

Genesis 2:15 - The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.

Let us take care, and not be reckless with this blessing. This earth is just a shadow, and we will see God's true glory in heaven, but cultivating an attitude of thankfulness and careful stewardship is much more desirable than one of waste and materialism. We live in a disposable society, and it takes a conscious effort to live differently.

Besides, frugality and taking care of our world go hand in hand.

The environmentalist enjoys an economic bonus by adopting frugality. We tightwads, whether or not it is a prime motivation, get to wear the cloak of environmentalism, stand tall, and not let anyone tell us we're crazy.

- Amy Dacyczyn, The Tightwad Gazette.

A note on my "green" grocery bags - I have collected these over the past couple of years and have gotten about 8 for free. Our local grocery store offers $.05 off for each bag used. I use at least 6 each week, which I estimate saves me between $15-$20 per year. Every little bit counts, you know! I keep them in the car at all times in front of one of the car seats so I don't forget to take them into the store. I actually prefer these to the plastic or paper bags because they are so nice and sturdy and I can loop one over my arm, making it easier to carry the groceries in. If you look carefully at the picture, you can see that all three of these have been repaired! These are all about three years old and they are starting to rip in places. Rather than just toss them, I repair them with a zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine. It takes about 2 minutes, and is just another way to be frugal and avoid waste.