April 22 was Earth Day. So many people asked me beforehand “What are you planning to do for Earth Day?” Since part of our environmental problem is what we do, my gut feeling is that we should honor the earth by being still and not ‘doing’ anything. Go outside and sit still. Breathe. Listen. Listen to the breath of life blow through the trees, trees that cleanse the air as we breathe out. Marvel at the ingenuity of the ants as they dither about carrying food 10 times their size back to their home. Listen and watch the bees that pollinate our food, and the birds who delight us with their beauty. Take nothing, and disturb nothing. Accept the gifts that have been freely given to you, and say “thank you.”
Allen and I spent part of Earth Day in the car, driving home from alumni weekend in Laurinburg, N.C. It was raining. Around Charlotte we passed a police car that had way more than enough blinking blue lights to alert oncoming vehicles. When I sarcastically asked Allen if the number and intensity of the blinking lights might be overdone, he answered that maybe the police want to make sure a complete airhead would pay attention.
After we got home the rain let up and the wind started to blow. An intense blinking bright light alerted me to look out the kitchen window; the sun was setting and the light was being reflected off the wet leaves. The wind blowing through the leaves created a strobe effect, just like those police car flashers.
God got my attention; I got the message. I gave thanks.