A Very Good Earth Day

Hi Friends!

Happy Earth Day! I think this day is a day for us to actually pay attention to the beauty around us. It is a day where we post pictures of our adventures, a day to say thank you to earth, a day to admire the beauty of the mountains and sunsets, and a day for us to get outside and soak it all in. We thank her because she sustains us, takes our pollution, and allows us to see all the beauty she offers (I mean, THE GRAND CANYON, right?!). However, I think that we can get tied up into this day for earth and all she does, rather than the Maker of the Heavens ~and~ the EARTH!

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." (Gen. 1:1 NIV). Genesis is the creation story, for this is where it all began. Earth was formed in 5 days. God was there hovering over the waters, creating, molding, forming this earth that sustains us. He created the Grand Canyon, the Smoky Mountains, the Pacific Ocean, your state... you name it. He is an artist, may I mention, the best artist. When I think of an artist, I tend to think originality, creative, talented, obsessed. I say obsessed because artists will perfect their work until it is what they want. As God was creating this beautiful eARTh, he made sure that it was "good." (I encourage you to read Gen. 1 & 2)!

After the creation of the earth and all the animals in it, God decided he needed to create one more thing. I mean everything He created was GOOD, He could have stopped there and had a good piece of art. However, He wanted to continue. He wanted something better. On the 6th day God created man in His image!!? That is crazy awesome, right?! At the end of the 6th day, "God saw all that he had made and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning--the sixth day." (Gen. 1:31). God made all of creation and said it was good, but when He created man in His image, it was VERY GOOD. Our Maker, our Creator, our God calls you very good above creation. He loves you, every freckle, every wrinkle, every hair on your head. You are a very good creation to Him. "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Eph. 2:10 NIV). You are God's handiwork, you. He has plans for you to do good, or very good in His name!

Earth Day this year has been different for me. I went on a bike ride and took in the beauty of the Earth, God's canvas to create freely. He did good. However, when I saw a mother helping her daughter ride a bicycle for the first time, I was in awe of God's masterpiece: us. May we walk with the confidence and the humility knowing that we are His masterpiece and that is very good.