True Blue...or Green

Here we are, at the bright and shiny beginning of a whole new week. (I know, I can FEEL your excitement.) I was thinking a bit about this blog over the weekend, and what it really means to 'be green'. Not to just buy green, but really take inventory of your lifestyle and how you steward the blessings in your life...and what I do with mine. (It just occurred to me how this subject may make Monday Haters even more grouchy. Oh well. Read on!)

I was in church with my family yesterday, and singing along to a particularly good worship song about how Good God is. I am definitely no super Chrisitian, and although I was completely involved in the worship, my mind wandered, just a bit. (*GASP*) I was having a friendly thought about how incredible it is to live in the part of the country that we do, what with all of the beautiful mountains, recreational activities, etc. I remembered a particular moment when I was young, and my family and I were on a hike. I remember wandering off just a little from the rest, and stopping to gaze at all the beauty around me. For some reason, I thought of that yesterday, during all the music, and the people gathered in community Worship, and the thought hit me: THAT'S what it really means to go green.

To be completely overtaken by gratitude for all that the Lord has given us, and to live accordingly. That may mean slightly different things to different people. But just as a relationship with God is personal, so are the decisions we make to live in good stewardship. Everything that God asks of us is to come out of a heart that is right before Him, and I don't think one can be 'green' without first acknowledging a point behind it. Yes, it is wonderful to simply want to take care of what we live out of, but for most, that isn't motivation enough. Then there's the 'fad' to consider. I would venture a guess that the majority of people who consider themselves to be 'environmentally concious' do so simply because they're told it's a good thing to do. I would challenge the common way of thinking by simply asking, 'but why?'

I didn't want to start a blog, etc, just to do something. When I dipped my toe into the waters of cleaner living, it was out of curiousity. What I have found is much deeper. To truly live in thankfulness and appreciation for everything that we've been given, we must recognize the character flaws within ourselves- the impulse to want everything right now, and convenient to our busy lives, without regard to stewardship and character - and strive to change, from the inside out.

All that to say, I am slowly attempting to change my little family's lifestyle for the better. Cleaner eating, and cleaner living- Green, if you will. But not because it's a fad. And certainly not because someone told me that I should. Simply because I am discovering daily how rewarding it can be to respond in thankfulness and good stewardship to the One who loves us so much, that He gave us Everything.