We do a lot of recycling in our house: paper, cardboard,
glass bottles and jars, tin cans, plastic . . . Some weeks the lid to the
recycle bin barely closes, especially if I've been cleaning out. Which, as I
mentioned in my last post, I feel driven to do this time of year. I cleaned out
the end table drawers, the kitchen closet, dresser drawers, and the linen
closet. And I'm still going through Barry's papers and notes. I
don't keep them all, but I want to touch every paper. I still can't get over
how many subject areas he studied.
Sometime in the late eighties and early nineties, Barry
served on the committee to begin the recycling drive in our community. We still
try to conserve and go green as much as possible by recycling, composting, and
opting for more natural materials and less packaging.
The other day I ran across an ancient text where the color "green"
caught my attention:
[Most] blessed is the man who believes in, trusts in, and relies on the Lord, and whose hope and confidence the Lord is.
In some ways, this season of my life could be characterized as "the year of drought," a year of firsts, of change, of learning to manage on my own, of handling everything from crawlspace issues to cars to single parenting. Maybe you can identify. Not that we haven't experienced many wonderful blessings, yet how easy to succumb to the "fear" and "heat" of daily adjustments and to "be anxious and full of care," resulting in a life void of the fruits of joy and peace.For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters that spreads out its roots by the river; and it shall not see and fear when heat comes; but its leaf shall be GREEN. It shall not be anxious and full of care in the year of drought, not shall it cease yielding fruit.*
I want to be like a tree with green leaves even in the dry
times. Don't you? I'm learning that going green in this sense has a lot to do
with trust. Confidence and hope in the Lord. Believing and relying on Him. And
somehow God takes our loss and recycles it into compassion, sensitivity, and a
stronger connection to the One who demonstrates His faithfulness in every
circumstance.
So, the next time you put something into the recycle
bin, remember that going green means more than salvaging paper, plastic, and glass. It
has a lot to do with trusting God to write our stories in times of abundance and
drought.
*Jeremiah 17:7, 8, The Amplified Bible
I now have a new thought to meditate on every time I toss something in my recycling bin: I am like a green tree planted by rivers of living water. Thanks , Sarah, for this provocative post! May we always see the rivers of living water in our lives.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. These verses are so encouraging. Blessings to you.
DeleteGoing green for the Lord! I love this analogy, Sarah, and I'll surely remember it next time I toss something into the recycling bin. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cheryl. Sometimes it helps to have a tangible reminder of God's truth. Best to you.
DeleteBoy, how I wish I had this article two weeks ago! I've been in throw-out mode for two weeks now and haven't even considered the concept of "green" once! Thanks for this insight, Sarah.
ReplyDeleteIt must be the time of year to want to purge and organize. I feel like a hand is pushing me everyday to do a little more cleaning out! Always a lesson in what we do . . . Praying for you.
DeleteI just love thinking about our "Recycling God" who makes good out of old and used up. I appreciate your encouragement to trust. Such a simple concept and yet it's a serious endeavor to live out. I love knowing that you and Dr Philips value similar things in life that my husband and I do and are and were conscientious about recycling for many years now. More and more, I am touched by how you guys live out your Christian faith. Thank you for setting a lovely example.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your encouragement, Daylin. It amazes me how God takes the "old and used up," as you said, and makes all things new. Blessings to you and your family.
DeleteThanks, Sarah, for another great article, making practical a biblical truth from your personal experience. I received a 2016 Professional Planner that had those verses (Jeremiah 17:7-8) monogrammed on the outside back cover along with "TRUST; Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord" on the front. I'm impressed that you've been prepared "spiritually" to be "green" and still "bear fruit" during this drought because of your trust in the Lord. Keep up "the good work" for our Lord's glory.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Steve, for your kindness and encouragement. I love when we hear a "sacred echo" - the same truth from several different sources. Blessings in the new year.
DeleteSarah, thank you for directing my thoughts to Jeremiah 17:7,8 and the fact that the one who trust the Lord will bear fruit even during a year of drought. I would have not made the connection about being "green for the Lord" and recycling without your post.
ReplyDeleteI love this concept of bearing fruit even in a season of drought - as we trust in the Lord. Thanks for taking the time to stop by . . .
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