With spring nearly upon us my green thumbs have begun to itch, and I have very little to scratch them with. I inherited the gardening bug from my grandfather and mom but little did I know it was going to be enhanced mutant X-man style by the green movement.
What started as a pleasure activity (gardening, enjoying annual flowers etc.) has turned into a water-conservation, recycling, composting, cloth diapering extravaganza! I laugh at myself as I make regular trips to what I still refer to as "my hippie-tree-hugger diaper store," and it is my ongoing challenge to find just the right balance of "browns" and "greens" to turn out beautiful, rich compost. I still enjoy gardening and landscape design for their own pleasures (I am secretly planning to redo some friends' yard whether they like it or not) but I desire more and more to live at the intersection of pleasure and practicality.
I am astonished when I try to calculate the amount of waste I have personally contributed to our landfills, and ashamed when I actually take the time to educate myself on the future of that trash. I have put hundreds if not thousands of diapers out there that will not begin to bio-degrade until long after the child that provided the fillings has passed out of this world. I was surprised to find that little things I used to do that I thought were so "green of me" (paper napkins, non-plasticized disposable plates, etc.) make no difference because our American landfills are sealed to prevent ground water contamination which means no air gets in to allow the trash to decompose naturally. I have exposed my children and myself to a TON of unnecessary chemicals in food, cleaning products, and clothing.
Now I'm not ready to go so far as to only buy organic foods, clothes and household items made from renewable resources, but, never say never right? It's unfortunate that making most of these greener choices is still cost prohibitive to most people, regardless of how they may feel ethically about the choices. And as we have tried to move more in this direction for our family we have also had to examine our motivations and callings (yes, I see it as a calling) to this lifestyle...
First, is it a calling? Do we, my family, and perhaps in the broader sense, we as Christians, still have a calling to be stewards of the Earth? What does that look like? Should we be living our lives as if Christ is coming back tomorrow so nothing matters or putting effort into preserving this Earth so that when God in his good pleasure returns it is still capable of supporting life? Can we the human race actually destroy the Earth? Are we that powerful?
Second, what lessons do I teach my children in this process? I hope that I am teaching them that they are worth taking care of. That making healthy choices in their eating habits is paramount beyond their looks, that education and not trends, is what matters. That their choices have long reaching effects, some of which cannot be predicted. That the Earth was given to us by God, and it is disrespectful to treat any gift given in love as a dumping ground.
Ultimately, I think a great part of this movement for me has been one of wanting to leave a legacy behind me of whole-person health. I want to engage in activities that strengthen my soul, mind, and body and that bring glory to my Creator. The creation is listed in scripture as something that will be redeemed by God along with us, so let's not throw it by the wayside now. Let's acknowledge that whether we live like a hermit in the mountains or in the middle of an urban metro-plex that we are surrounded by the projects of the living God and let that knowledge make us tender.
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