Listen

But your loyal love, Lord, extends to the skies; your faithfulness reaches the clouds.

Your righteousness is like the strongest mountains; your justice is like the deepest sea. Lord, you save both humans and animals.

Psalm 36:5-6

Think

As a youth minister, one of the best parts of my job is traveling with young people. Once, I took a group on a trip themed around environmental conservation. As a part of our trip, we spent a couple days volunteering in and exploring Everglades National Park.

Have you ever been to a national park?

A national park is a part of nature that a country sets aside so that it cannot be altered significantly. Instead, it is preserved so that present and future generations can enjoy it. There are so many other great national parks in the United States. The massive mile-deep gorge that is the Grand Canyon. The world’s tallest trees are at Redwood National Park. Visit active volcanoes at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

At the Everglades, I was reminded that God asks us to care for creation. Just as we are to be kind to other people, we are also meant to be kind to creation. Caring for and loving the earth is another way that we love God.

Patrick Kangrga

Pray

God, thank you for your creation. For people. And for places of natural beauty.

Keep my eyes open to nature and all its awesomeness.

Help me find ways to care for the earth. To preserve it for others in the future so they too can witness your glory and grace.

Amen.

Go

It well may be
That we will never meet again
In this lifetime
So let me say before we part
So much of me
Is made of what I learned from you
You’ll be with me
Like a handprint on my heart
And now whatever way our stories end
I know you have re-written mine
By being my friend

from “For Good” in Wicked by Stephen Schwartz (2003)