Being Thankful

There are about a million things I won’t miss about my job. I don’t need to list all the awful things that made me seriously consider jamming a pen up my nose and pulling it through my eyeball. But, I cannot deny the fact that I am unbelievably grateful for my experience because of what it taught me. And that has to do with the environment.

I’m a sucker for mentors, and any time a wiser, older person wants to invest some time in me, I’m all over it. At work, there were two women who took me under their wings and opened my eyes to all things green. They’re both extremely influential in the company, and they’re both extremely intelligent. One of them sent me to a class in California to learn more; another let me research and write papers informing others how to live green. They both let me take part in important meetings that discussed issues like climate change and greenhouse gasses and sustainable investments. They don’t believe in God, but they profoundly affected my faith.

Matt and I did a complete turn-around with our life after I started my job. We live with an eco-conscience, meaning we question the things we do and buy in relation to the earth. Sometimes I don’t think my parents recognize us. I may hate my job, but I am filled with gratitude for the two women that taught me how to take care of creation.

Sometimes it really pisses me off that JBU never discussed this as an issue. We had hot topic chapels that discussed gasp! homosexuals, but did we ever discuss a believer’s role in caring for creation? Live Earth took place a few weeks ago, and regardless what you think about its impact on resources, it did raise some awareness. I was pretty indifferent to Live Earth, but like my mentor at work said, “Anything to get people thinking twice.” But there was a moment while watching a concert that I got really sad – it seemed like this was a movement that believers of God and creation should have started ages ago. I mean, if we’re going to be bold and claim that this planet and these people are His creation, then shouldn’t we be leading the pack when it comes to taking care of it?

Thank God somebody is leading.

I know I don’t look the part of a tree-hugger. That’s because I’m not. The only high maintenance thing that I cut out from my life when we moved up here was that I don’t wear fake nails anymore. (That’s not to say I don’t want to, though.) But that’s the thing – there’s not a certain look to loving the earth. Recycling or changing your light bulbs or riding the bus or praying for earth-friendly legislature doesn’t mean you’re a hippie or a liberal or Captain Planet himself – it hopefully means you’re just one person hoping to leave the world a little bit tidier than when you first showed up. And that's not really asking too much.