It’s mid-October and already 2019 has been full of growth for us here! Spiritually, physically, and emotionally, I think we’ve all learned and changed a lot throughout the course of the year, both as individuals and as a community. One huge shift in our community that I want to highlight is our ever growing heart for the environment. In light of all that’s happening in the world, from the U.S. backing out of the Paris Agreement to the wealth of fires that have burned across the planet, it can become overwhelming to think of how one tiny individual can hope to have an impact on such huge, global issues. It’s something I’ve definitely struggled with in my own life, but now I have the blessing of watching as others in my community of believers become stirred for the destruction that’s befallen the beauty of the earth our God created for us to care for.
"You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you." Nehemiah 9:6
Our hope is to become more intentional about making moves, as a collective, to dedicate time and resources toward causes that help maintain and sustain the environment. Last weekend, we had the opportunity to attend a beach clean up at Bolsa Chica State Beach in Huntington, CA, hosted by an organization called Coastal Angels (http://coastalangels.org/). Our ragtag group of about 20 people, ranging from high schoolers to young adults, met at lifeguard tower 21 and put ourselves to work for the morning. We started off checking in members of the group, gathering up tools, and listening to a representative of the organization give brief instructions about what to pick up and how to sort through the trash. After that, we were off for 3 hours! I think the idea of beach clean ups are so fun to get behind, but actually doing one that day gave me a whole new appreciation for the work it takes to protect our beaches. Thirty minutes into the cleanup and we were thirsty, sweating, and hungry! What’s really crazy though, is that for the whole three hours there, I would say we only covered about ¼ mile of beach. This first experience for us was a huge reminder of all the work that still needs to be done to help restore and care for the work that God’s hands made for us to enjoy.
I am amazed and so appreciative of the people who do these kinds of things on a regular basis; who are out in the field, day in and day out, fighting for environmental protections, for restorative action, and for change to be made. While our day at Bolsa Chica was a meaningful community service and bonding experience for our group, my prayer is that this yearning to see the restoration of the beautiful planet our God crafted continues to grow not just in us, but in the community of Christ as a whole. If you’re interested in joining us on our next cleanup or journeying with us as we walk together to grow more environmentally conscious, definitely sign up on the link below for updates! While we may not know or be capable of large-scale change, our desire is to grow day by day in our ability to fight for the planet God gifted us with!
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” Genesis 1:26