Day #34 – A Good Steward, Prayerfully

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Saturday, March 28, 2015

Day #34 – A Good Steward, Prayerfully

Ever hear something (or read something) and immediately have a scene from your past pop into your head? That was me, when I read today’s excellent suggestion from Ruth.

As I went through the colored action suggestions at the end of the blog post, my eye fell on the first one, the green one. And I immediately went back several decades, to when I was twelve or thirteen years old.

My dad was alive then. We were in the little brick house in Chicago where I (and my older brothers and sisters) all grew up. My dad was a statistician, and particularly precise and conscientious where saving money was concerned. We didn’t have too much to spare, especially with my older sisters at the University of Illinois. (Yes, both at the same time.) He drilled it into all of our heads to be thoughtful and careful with what we used, how much we used, and why we used it. This was the same with food to paper products to utilities.

I particularly remember several times when I was either twelve or thirteen. It was winter time, so a time of earlier darkness. A time of more artificial lights. I would go into a room, find what I needed, and automatically flip off the light switch as I left the room.

“Hey! I’m still in here!” was what my dad said, disgruntled. This happened several times. (At least.) I would look back, chagrined. Sorry. Apologetic. “I’m just doing what you said. What you taught me.” I distinctly remember saying that, at least a couple of times.

I know our family was thinking about saving money when we grew up. We needed to count our pennies. (Pennies were worth something in those days! But, I’m showing my age.) Now, when I think twice about turning on lights, or turning down the heat in my condominium, or using that reusable insulated cup for my coffee or tea in the morning, I am also thinking about being a good steward of creation. Of the gifts and blessings God has given me. What a good reminder of what I can do, to make a difference.

@chaplaineliza

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(Check out #40acts; doing Lent generously at www.40acts.org.uk )

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And read #40acts sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

Day #7 – Do I Really Need That Stuff? Praying About It.

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Day #7 – Do I Really Need That Stuff? Praying About It.

I opened the email from 40acts today with curiosity, wanting to see what was in store for this day. This generous act. At first read, I thought, “Oh, I’ve got this. I don’t have any difficulty with money. I’m pretty generous with what I have.” There I was, patting myself on the back for being generous. When I have the money, that is. Which is not always the case.

But . . . something inside me did not seem right. My eyes went up to the top of the screen, and I read through the article again. After some consideration, I thought, “We live in such a small place—only four rooms. There isn’t all that much stuff around here. At least, expensive stuff. My goodness, the most expensive thing here is the upright Kawai piano. Everything else is either cut rate, discounted, from thrift shops or second hand. But I was thinking about furniture.

I went back to the beginning of the article, for the third time. This time, I congratulated myself with the thought, “I just don’t have much problem with giving stuff away.” But then, I thought about my books. I love books—I really and truly love books. Three rooms have four floor-to-ceiling bookshelves in them, and six medium size bookshelves. (In the interest of rigorous honesty, I must admit I am also married to a bibliophile.)

And clothes. I sometimes shop at resale shops, and I love the selections I get. I do give away the occasional two or three shopping bags worth of stuff—recycling to various resale shops, but there always seems to be more. And more. The bookshelves are groaning. My closet and dresser drawers are stuffed.

God, help me to get rid of some of this extra stuff. Please. I have two members in my extended family who are trying to live a more simplified lifestyle. Not because they are trying to be more Christlike, but because it’s more of a green, eco-conscious, earth-friendly way of living. All of which I approve of! Simplifying my life is being a good steward of this part of the world, and I truly believe this would please God.

God, I really will try to get rid of some of my beloved books. And, streamline some of the clothes I have clogging up the storage space in my bedroom. That will free up some room, and make this apartment more of a spacious and pleasant place to be. So help me, God.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

(Check out #40acts; doing Lent generously at www.40acts.org.uk )

Why not visit my sister blogs, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.   @chaplaineliza And read #40acts sermons sermons from Pastor, Preacher Pray-er .

Day #3 – In the Garden? In Prayer!

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – Thursday, February 19, 2015

Day #3 – In the Garden? In Prayer!

As I read today’s suggestion, I remembered something I had been thinking about, a few months ago. Having a community garden at our church.

Let me back up. In today’s reading (in 40acts: Act #3), I read about an empty lot at the end of a road. Formerly a dumping ground, a forlorn piece of useless property, it has been transformed. Cleared out, cleaned up and planted with some fruit trees, this community orchard is now a lovely area! All because some people got together, cared about the property, had a viable plan, and carried it out.

That’s what this 40acts of generosity and kindness is all about! Each day, a generous suggestion is put forward. Today, the suggestion is to 1) clean up an outside area and 2) plant!

Today’s act is, as the Day # 3 post says, being generous to our environment. Helping the world to be a more beautiful place in which to live. What a wonderful thing to do! Just as God gave humanity the world at the beginning—in Genesis—for humans to tend and take care of, so I am urged to be a good steward and clean up, clear out a little area. Even a larger area, and see whether I can make the area more beautiful.

As I mentioned when I began this post, I had been thinking about doing this exact thing: starting a small community garden at our church. We have a good amount of land, and this could be a great thing for the area food pantry! The vegetables grown in the church’s garden could go to support the food pantry.

I’ve seen similar, raised box gardens in my area, with chicken wire around the perimeter of the boxes. (So rabbits and other varmints won’t be as likely to munch on the growing vegetables.) The garden spaces are three feet by six feet, or four feet by eight feet. Sounds like a great possibility! Pray with me, that I can get some interest in the box gardens.

I hope so. I pray so. God, may it be so!

 

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.

(also published at www.matterofprayer.net