Your Surroundings Matter: How Can You Care for Them?

No winter on this beach!

It's not uncommon in today's world for families to frequently move from one city to another. Mainly it's for a new job, retirement, a change in marital status, military requirements, or the urge for a better climate, especially after experiencing a severe winter! And, did you know there are new cities cropping up every year? The U.S. Census in 2013 alone reported 17 new cities anywhere from Sandy Point, Texas, with a population of 200 to Jurupa Valley, California, with almost 100,000 residents. It seems you have endless choices!

No matter where you live, you probably have one common desire and that is to live among the beauty of the land/area you possess. That can mean different things to different people. Some will purchase a dream home in the mountains, valleys, or plains or on a beach, some are more than happy to live in a city condo close to work, or an apartment where yard work is non-existent. There are as many places to live as there are people! 

And wherever you might lay your head at night, when you awake you will see natural beauty all around you. It could be your yard with fragrant pink and yellow rose bushes, swaying palm trees that line your street, tall pine trees with that distinctive smell, or a lush neighborhood park. You are truly blessed with your surroundings if you spend time each day to look for them. 

Become a Good Neighbor
Of course, with all these blessings come responsibilities to care for whatever you possibly can. In your neighborhood, no one wants to see a yard that is never attended and left in shambles with weeds and trash. When you take pleasure in caring for your own property, you make a good neighbor. Plants can give food, trees give shade, and both can give you pleasure, but only if you cultivate them. 

In today's world, too many trees are destroyed needlessly both locally and including acres of them in the rain forests. Doesn't have anything to do with you? Why should you care? Answer this first: do you use any of these rain forest products:

Rain-forest Ginger

Bananas, citrus, avocados, nuts, or spices like vanilla and ginger
Coffee, tea, or cocoa
Cosmetics, cleaning products, or detergents
Medicine for rheumatism, diabetes, or heart conditions

Many of these consumables, if not most, come from rain forests and are among hundreds of everyday products! In addition, they stabilize world climate (including the oxygen we breathe), provide a home to plants and animals, and protect against floods, droughts, and erosion among many other uses. Information about this subject can fill hundreds of books. If you are interested in more, visit www.rain-forest-alliance.org

Today, April 22nd is Earth Day 2019. A day set aside to think about the world and how you can help keep it beautiful. It started way back in 1970 with this statement:

"At the time, Americans were slurping leaded gas through massive V8 sedans. Industry belched out smoke and sludge with little fear of legal consequences or bad press. Air pollution was commonly accepted as the smell of prosperity. “Environment” was a word that appeared more often in spelling bees than on the evening news." [www.earthday.org]

Where Did the World Begin?
Thankfully, the world has greatly improved because of efforts made by many, many people who care about it. It is, however, an ongoing struggle, so don't give up! Start in your own little part of the world especially now that you have a new beginning. For now, just think about where did this beautiful world begin in the first place? The answer will help you understand your part in maintaining it. 

One of the biggest lies in history is that this universe began with some kind of "big bang" episode. Don't worry, we are not debating this inexhaustible subject right now. Just keep this little experiment in mind as food for thought: start at any point in the cosmos and step by step, keep moving backward in your mind asking/answering at each point, And where did ____(living creatures, sun, moon, stars, land, seas, sky, water, darkness, and light) come from? Eventually, you'll have your answer.

In the Beginning

Start with the five most important words on today's subject: 
"In the beginning God created..." (Genesis 1:1 NLT). 

There is the answer. Simple. Of course, if you don't believe this five-word statement, then you can open the Bible on the first page and keep reading in the first chapter. It's pretty amazing!

Moving on to the second chapter, there are a few more true statements covering the subject question, Where did the world begin? "And the Lord God planted all sorts of trees in the garden--beautiful trees that produced delicious fruit" (Genesis 2:9a NLT).        

"The Lord placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and care for it" (Genesis 2:15 NLT). And in our world, yes, women are also expected to take care of their "garden" wherever that may be!

If we keep reading in Genesis Chapters 6, 7, 8, and 9, we read about Noah and the Great Flood. Afterward, God spoke to him about taking care of all the earth and its creatures. It is a good lesson that God still expects us to continue today.  

So there it is in a nutshell. God created the world and He expects us to take very good care of it. Period.   

"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him. For he laid the earth's foundation on the seas and built it on the ocean depths" (Psalm 24:1-2 NLT).