A lot of God-loving moms have thrown Earth Day out with the recycling. Before we banish the man-made holiday to the compost pile with our potato peels and grass clippings, maybe we should pause, take a deep breath of (semi) clean air, and consider 5 things our kids should know on Earth Day.
God made the earth.
If our kids are to know God, they need to know Him as their maker and the maker of the earth we call home. Understanding who He is and who they are hinges on knowing Him as Creator. Once they see His signature on the landscape and the inhabits of earth and sky, their hearts will learn of His character, His personality, His plans, and His ways.
“You are the Lord, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. (Nehemiah 9:6)
God calls us to care for the earth.
I live within view of the most visited National Park in the United States. On a clear day, I can see the crevices in the peaks and the fresh snow on the ridgelines. But getting there … the roads are strewn with trash. Let’s be honest: man does a rotten job of taking care of what God made. When Jesus people treat God’s creation like it doesn’t matter, the world thinks God doesn’t matter.
“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” (Genesis 2:15)
God reveals Himself in the earth.
Ocean foam? Geese in flight? Newborn baby? Brewing storm? We have only to look at the prints on our fingers or the shape of today’s clouds to learn about the One who formed man from dust and breathed His own life into us. When kids learn to love the earth, they’re learning to LOVE the Creator.
Behold, these are but the outskirts of his ways, and how small a whisper do we hear of him! But the thunder of his power who can understand? (from Job 26:7-14)
God hears groans from the earth.
Let’s help our kids see how the earth groans. Deforestation and plastic bottles floating in the river open up conversations about God’s perfect plan, man’s imperfect choices, and our desperate need for recreation. Trouble on earth leads to restoration in heaven!
For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. (Romans 8:22)
God will make a new earth.
Kids have a hard time looking beyond today (and sometimes moms too), but they need to know God’s story doesn’t end here. They need to know your family’s life today impacts your family’s life for eternity. God has more in store than this earth. Kids need a vision for their future including eternity.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. (Revelations 21:1)
So on this coming Earth Day, April 22nd, why not take a fresh look at the work of God’s hands?
10 Things to do with Kids on Earth Day
- go for a picnic
- paint pictures of your landscape
- write poems about creation
- check out a stack of books about animals
- make a giant salad
- stay up late and watch God’s stars
- read Genesis chapter 1
- tell God all you love about earth
- go pick up garbage where you live
- prayer walk in a park
Earth Day is a Mom’s opportunity to teach her children! We can roll our eyes at its man-made nature (Hey, what about Mother’s Day!?!?) or use paper plates in defiance of tree huggers, but maybe we should be better stewards of our opportunity. Maybe we should celebrate our great Creator and His kindness to include us in His earthly plans and heavenly purposes.
And if the beauty of Who He is and what He’s made inspires you to hug a tree, never fear. After all, He’s the one who surveyed the work of His hands, looked at “everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31)
- Election Day and empowering, enduring truths for moms - November 8, 2016
- Loving People: How Moms can Make Life a Lesson in Loving - October 11, 2016
- A Child’s Heart and the Hidden Treasure of Talking Back - September 13, 2016
