This summer, as many of you know, we have found our selves taking refuge from the Phoenix summer sun in beautiful places such as Sedona, Grand Canyon, Flagstaff , and Durango Colorado
The high, red, Sedona Rocks that glow as if the sun has set them on fire.
The deep infinite drops and climbs of the Canyon that seem to tease our eyes and senses.
The tall trees of Flagstaff
The dancing river of Durango
Our family came just to be in the presence of such nature. Not man made. Not consumer driven. Not something we could wrap up and take back home. There was just something about being around such beauty that it was as if we were breathing God into our very being.
Now, I’ve always been a bit “crunchy”; Artsy, hippie, granola, if you will. I’ve found ways to carry my own water bottle, recycle, borrow, BYOB, donate, reuse, while spending, and wasting less. I am excited by saving, nurturing, and reserving. But in these days, I’ve been gripped in my soul by how much waste there is around us. There is literally a knot between my shoulder blades that grows tighter with every plastic water bottle tossed into a heaping shiny bin, every super sized American meal that finds its way to the trash, every oversized, over air conditioned home and store that eats up air as it pollutes us with its very being. There seems to be an insatiable need surrounding that whispers in our ears lies like “you need that, you deserve that, that isn’t good enough, this is better, you are entitled to this, you need more, you paid for that, you won’t be satisfied until…”
Meanwhile, what is free and beautiful weeps and suffers because of the worlds’ ravenous ways. How much do we really need?
I’ve lived out of a single suitcase. Found a way to survive with 10 pieces of clothing. Endured life without a car. Found my home in a space just under 300 square feet. Had enough in the bank or my daily bread. And given it all away just to start over again. Never during those times did my lack of belongings change who I was. As I craved for more space, more belongings, and more ownership, my most desirable assets remained firm; Time, relationships, and nature.
Later in life, I found myself acquiring more “stuff”. A house, a car, a walk-in closet, a yard, a vanity, yadda, yadda. Time slips through my fingers with every swipe of the credit card. Relationships are drone by the hum of a vacuum. And nature is but a nuisance of weeds and pests. This time, I did lose a bit of who I was. The consumption process had stolen it away. The idea that more is better has proven to be a lie. Our earth is proof of this as we continue to challenge our resources and close our eyes as we exist on borrowed time. “Sustainability” and “Going Green” are now consumer terms to make us feel better about our purchasing powers. The reality is that more we consume the heavier, more costly, and weaker we become.
Now, I am not an extremist ready to flee to the mountain tops, strip naked and cry out to nature “pride!” But, I am a realist realizing that the more I appreciate what I have, what beauty God has provided for free, and what it means to respect life- the more content I become. Appreciation for the moments I am given, the relationships I’m entrusted with, and the impact I have on the world each day is what is keeping me sustainable. What can I teach my children? If I am to be the change I want to see, and pass on a legacy of love, then I must walk the walk and make simple adjustments during the day. Change is not easy but it is necessary. I take simple attainable steps; Turn off the faucet, carpool, unplug, write, read, rest, breathe, and live. I remember that time is limited, people are precious, and what God offers each day is free.
“May I not be controlled by consumption and greed but be led by the God given passions and desires placed in my heart”.
~ Victoria
