Caretakers of Creation

Read Genesis 1:20-31 - days 5 and 6

And God blessed them and told them, "Multiply and fill the earth and subdue it; you are masters of the fish and birds and all the animals. Genesis 1:28 (TLB)

Jill Allen Maisch, from Maryland, panicked when she saw her five-year-old daughter lying face down in the dirt. As Jill ran toward her, she yelled, "Katie! Are you okay?" She looked up and calmly replied, "I'm talking to the worms." Jill shouldn't have been surprised. Katie felt personally responsible for the care of every creature she encountered. Before bed, she would often read to her pet snake. She spent hours constructing tiny houses for jumpy spiders. And any dead flies she found on windowsills were given proper burials.

We learn in Genesis 1 that humankind was given the responsibility of caring for God's creation. This doesn't mean we need to talk to worms or build houses for spiders, but we do need to take care of the fragile ecosystems that provide homes for countless living things. Some ways to do this include recycling and cutting back on our use of fossil fuels by choosing to walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation whenever possible.

As stewards of God's creation, we can each do our part to help protect and preserve our precious world. And if you see a worm today, say hello for Katie.

Prayer: Thank you, God, for your amazing creation. Guide us in how we can be better stewards of the world around us, in Jesus' name. Amen.