Called to be stewards of the Earth
Monday, April 19, 2021
*Dolores Hanley McDiarmid
Scripture tells us that while God created Earth for our pleasure, he has also given us the responsibility of looking after and taking care of what he created.
Have you ever had an idea that you thought might help the condition of our environment? Did you share that idea? Or did you choose not to, thinking that your letter, phone call, email, or tweet would not make any difference?
Your idea may be inspired by the Holy Spirit, but you will not find out unless you act on it. One morning in September 2019, I was standing at the checkout counter after shopping for cat food at Pet Supermarket. For some reason, on this day, the long row of plastic bags that are handed out to customers caught my attention.
Perhaps they caught my attention because I had recently viewed several YouTube stories about the plastic island, how our beautiful planet Earth is polluted with plastic, and how we are being encouraged to use less plastic. An idea popped into my head. Why not have cute reusable bags for customers instead of the plastic bags?
Upon arriving home, I headed for the computer, looked up the address of Pet Supermarket’s headquarters and sent them an email. The email reminded the company how reusable bags can be an excellent way to advertise the store and help our environment at the same time. At the end of the email, I shared that I hoped to see these tote bags in 2020.
On March 7, 2020 I proceeded to the checkout counter at Pet Supermarket and the salesperson asked if I would like to purchase one of their cute new reusable bags. I was so excited! I was excited to play a role in helping our environment and be a catalyst in the production of these bags.
Whether it was my e-mail or one of many others that suggested the use of reusable bags, there will be a positive impact on our environment. There are 300 Pet Supermarkets nationally which means if people make use of the reusable bags there will be a small but important decrease in the amount of plastic on planet Earth.
We will be marking Earth Day 2021 this Thursday, April 22. Has the Holy Spirit inspired you with an idea that might help restore our environment? Why not take action and share that idea with the proper organization?
Don’t be afraid to share an idea. Living our faith means taking action. Remember, even the smallest idea could have a significant impact on the environment. Happy Earth Day!
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