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God's Creation

 

One of the wonderful things about retirement is being able to go for a walk whenever I like--I don’t have to schedule it around my work or my family who are all grown now. Having said this, life is still busy but at least I have more flexibility.

I arrived home around 2 pm today after a lovely long lunch with a friend, feeling as if my bucket was full. However, the day was a warm sunny autumn day so I decided to go for a walk before taking in the washing.

We are blessed to have a lovely park only 10 minutes away. The park was delightfully tranquil and as I strolled along the walkway I couldn’t help reflecting on the beauty of God’s creation. That lead to me thinking about how humankind has neglected the care of our earth resulting in the devastating extreme weather events that are becoming more frequent.

What part have my actions played? I confess that I have been thoughtless at times in taking care of the planet. I am getting better but am sure I can do more, even in my little corner. It may not make a lot of difference, but if enough people care for their little corner I wonder what effect it might have. So what can I do?

We already hand-wash dishes in a small amount of water only twice a day, rather than use a dishwasher but I need to work more on taking shorter showers. I recycle usually, but can do better with this. I don’t take the car out every day but could cycle or walk more, having my exercise as I carry out errands, saving petrol and helping the planet! We no longer use our fireplace, electing to use a heat pump and only turn it on when really necessary. I confess it drives me crazy when neighbours light their fires at 2.30 pm on a warm day when I have washing out and windows open. I try not to use a clothes dryer unless I absolutely have to—which also helps with the electricity bill! I use too many tissues that end up in the landfill so need to think about how to decrease this.

When I start to look at my actions I see there is still plenty I can do to play my part. I guess it starts with a thankful attitude for all we have rather than taking it for granted as well as taking personal responsibility for my actions.

I wonder, is there more that you could do?  We are all in it together. God bless.

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