Listen

You’ve let them rule over your handiwork, putting everything under their feet— all sheep and all cattle, the wild animals too, the birds in the sky, the fish of the ocean, everything that travels the pathways of the sea. Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Psalm 8:6-9

Think

This excerpt from Psalm 8 makes me realize just how much responsibility God has given us as human beings. God has trusted us with the rest of God’s creation. All that buzzes, whirls, and ripples around us is under our care. That’s a big job, but I am certain that we can do it, and that we can do it well.

Like we nurture one another, we are in charge of nurturing all of God’s creation. This requires mindfulness, open eyes, and open hearts. What is your relationship with the earth and its creatures?

If you play an outdoor sport, there is often grass and dirt under your feet. If you like to garden, you sink your hands into rich soil and watch seeds grow into new life. If you are an indoor person, you notice when the rain soaks you to the bone between the car and your house. Whatever it is that connects you to creation, notice it, and ask yourself how you can live into your responsibility for God’s creation.

Ashley Lytle

Pray

Lord, my Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth! The creation around me is an incredible gift. Bless me with the knowledge and understanding of my responsibility in caring for it. In the splendor of your holy name, amen.

Go

Go and bask in God’s creation;

Go and open your eyes to see what lives, breathes, swirls, and twirls around you;

Go and care for the people you love and for those you do not yet love;

Go and ask for help;

Go and show God’s glory through your incredible humanity!