Care for the Earth

I wrote this reflection to give after mass as part of a series of reflections.


When I was little, my family would drive an hour and a half to drop my older sister off for a week of summer camp. I was not old enough to stay, and I would routinely break down begging my parents to let me stay. There I was, having a breakdown, begging to stay... while other already homesick campers were begging to leave.

I loved the atmosphere - the way the cabins felt like you were inside just enough. The way the pool was in the middle of a field, and a young girl could imagine it was a water hole somewhere exotic. I loved the freedom that is woven into the place so that everyone has the time to stop and observe a new bug.

When I was finally able to attend, my new best friend and I found a baby bird. We wanted so badly to keep it in our cabin, but we had to give Chirpy to the nature specialist. We visited him everyday.

The years went by and I spent more and more of my summers discovering the special corners of camp. I learned about the buts, the trees, and even the stars on the special occasions we could stay up late.

But what I learned most in my almost 18 summers at camp is that God is in nature. God is in the huge 200 year old oak tree watching over the camp at the edge of the property. God is in the mud of the creek that sometimes eats your shoes. God is in the bunny that patiently lets kids get too close before running away. God is in the steadiness of a friend's hand as you cross a log over the creek.

People sometimes ask me why I am passionate about combating climate change, or why I love recycling, or why I get angry when people brush off the realities of the state of our earth. It's because through nature, I found God. Through the worst times of my life, I could go outside and feel the still, small whisper of God's love in the wind.

This is my challenge to you: Allow God to meet you in nature. Find a spot where you believe 100% in God because of the sights you see or the things you feel. Love the Earth like you love God because the Earth is one of the major ways God meets us and loves us!

Uncharted Territory

Uncharted territory conjours up visions of new beginnings, starting over, and grand adventures.

But what happens when the uncharted territory becomes the norm?
When you start over so many times so close to each other that starting over becomes second nature?

What does uncharted territory mean when the cartography of your past five years looks like blank spaces, question marks, and goodbyes?

The best answer I have is to cling to the things of life that will always be charted...

A few friends.
Your family.
The feelings of being invested in a place.
Belly laughs.
The bittersweet feeling of goodbye.
And the crisp sound of the page turning sometimes too quickly and the anticipation of what or who waits for you in the next chapter.