In the Book of Genesis there is mention about how God put a rainbow in the sky to remind himself that he would never again destroy the earth.  Some people tend to stress the words ‘with a flood’ – But I am one who thinks God doesn’t want to destroy the earth or anything that our Good Lord has created.  At the end of the creation stories we read that the people God has created are to be the ones who care for the earth by subduing it.  Now, it’s pretty difficult for us to subdue natural elements like wind, rain, snow, etc.  But I’m thinking we could all work a little more at thinking about and acting upon what it means to care for God’s creation, including ourselves.

I’ve been thinking about the things we write ourselves notes so that we remember something.  Take out the Garbage,  Grocery Lists, Errands, Appointments, Assignments, etc. But I wonder about putting signs up that remind us not to be destructive, especially when we are stressed,  that we won’t destroy ourselves, other people or the earth.  We give each other wedding rings as a sign, a reminder of our love for one another.

What kind of sign would you put up?  And how about the many ways we destroy the good earth and people that God has created with nary a thought.  I’ve read about all the plastics that are doing so much damage in our oceans and landscapes and to birds and fish and us.  I started saving plastic grocery bags a couple years ago, much to my husbands disdain.  I told him I had seen where someone had made a coat, I was making jump ropes with the intention of giving them to my grandchildren and I thought perhaps they could become braided rugs for outdoor gardening or kneeling pads for scrubbing floors, or sitting pads.  He said – use paper bags and boxes – those pile up too, but are more compostable, etc. etc. and so I dropped the save the plastic bags and get creative with them idea.  But I’ve been saving bottle tops and caps from the two of us for almost a full year.  I’m hoping to get some people together so we can get creative about how to use them for a novel piece of artwork.  Not certain how to do that as I don’t really travel in a circle of artists much.  That artwork will become for me a reminder to try to be more attentive to packaging when I shop.  But back to more about reminders –

When my mother received her news about having cancer she sent me a bouquet of yellow daffodils and a lovely card telling me she loved me.  I called her and thanked her for the bouquet telling her I was surprised.  At this point I still didn’t know she had cancer. She never told me directly that she did.  What she said was, you’ll have to do some research about daffodils and let me know what you find out.  That evening I got on the computer.  I looked up the flower and learn about the plant and then ran across articles about their relationship with healing propensities in cancer research and that there are Daffodil Days to support the American Cancer Society.  The next day I called my mother and said I learned alot about daffodils last night and more about you.  Do you want to talk about your cancer?  No, she said, I want your prayers.  And so we prayed, quite often together but more often I prayed for her when I was alone.

Years later, when I received my diagnosis of Breast Cancer, I went out and bought myself a prayer plant.  It was in a 4 inch pot.  I put it in the window so that I would see it everyday and remember to pray my way through my diagnosis, treatment and recovery.  It seems that there are so many people suffering from so many different kinds of cancer in so many places.  Researchers are immersed in finding cures and ways to help us get what cancer we can out of our bodies.  It’s been about two years and my prayer plant is still in the window reminding me to pray everyday.  I don’t only pray for myself, I pray for other people and situations in this world.

Recently, someone very special and important to me gave me a key chain with a reminder for me to Count My Blessings and not my losses.  When I am grieving, I hold that keychain and remember what it says and that I am loved.  It’s another good sign of remembrance for me.

What issues are on your heart today?  every day?  I hope you will give yourself and others a gift that reminds you to pray your way through, to pray for solutions, to be led to wise decisions and right actions, to remind yourself to be hopeful and not fall into temptations of a destructive nature.  Prayer does, after all, have a positive affect on subduing our thoughts and emotions, clears our thinking and our hearts.  Prayer, indeed has the power to help us be the creative, healing people that God created us to be.

Let us pray,

Lord God, we come to you in humility, knowing we cannot do what you would have us do on this earth without your Holy Spirit living in us.  We ask you to forgive us for those times we have been more destructive than constructive.  Grant us the gifts of your Holy Spirit so that we may do the work that you have prepared for us to do, the work of caring for your creation, loving you, ourselves and other people.  We ask this so that your will for us to live in heavenly peace on earth may be accomplished in and through us in this generation. AMEN