Pray for AmericaChikamu

Pray for the Environment

Imagine a "man on the street" interview in a typical American town. The interviewer asks people questions like, "What's your favorite song?" or "What's your favorite dessert?" The answers will most likely be infused with joy at the thought of those beloved things.

Then, imagine the interviewer asking, "What's your favorite tree?" Some may answer with the same level of enthusiasm, but for many, the excitement would melt into confusion or nothingness.

When was the last time you admired a tree? Whether it be the intricacies of leaves or needles, the silhouette of a swaying tree against the night sky, or the grandeur of a hilltop forest in autumn, trees are among God's most beautiful creations. They're also among His most inspiring.

A popular place to escape the stresses of everyday life is in a woodland park, guided by blazes painted on trees along the trail. Yet even what's inside a tree can provide guidance, too. Each year, trees add another ring of growth. Favorable conditions result in a wide ring, and unfavorable ones in a narrow one. Scientists have been able to catalog these patterns of wide and narrow bands to produce timelines of what local sets of trees' surroundings were like, sometimes going back thousands of years! In fact, intensive study of such rings provides evidence for ancient volcanic eruptions that had worldwide consequences.

Broken limbs, a bent trunk, blight, or even an earth-changing disaster can all eventually be represented as a single ring. A narrow one, yes. Yet it's still only one ring out of many. Even after such rings, greater expansion is possible. The tree just has to keep growing.

That's an inspiration for us. We each experience "death and decay," as Paul writes about in Romans 8:18-21, but we will also experience "glory" and "freedom." And not just us, but all of creation will be revived in glorious freedom when God creates the new earth (2 Peter 3:13).

Until then, pray that God can show you how to delight in and care for this earth. America's natural beauty is immensely diverse and captivating, from mountains to mammals and waterways to wildflowers. There is much to admire near you and in states far away from you. Pray for opportunities to make this America a more beautiful place, even if it's something as seemingly small as picking up trash.

When we value God's creation, we're more likely to learn from it. Jesus and Solomon—the wisest humans who ever lived—taught lessons based on observing nature. So remember what we can learn from the strong, sagely tree: no matter what we experience, better days are ahead if we just keep growing.