Mesquite Hugger gets all personal and spiritual again

<<< Warning: This post contains no photos, no links, no solar-powered hoverboards, no self-watering gardens and no weird creatures that helped me with my latest green project. It won't even mention the Copenhagen wheel. It does mention my belief in Christ a great deal. If you don't like that sort of thing or are not wanting to see that sort of thing, please move along and check back in a few days. I'll get back to compost and electrons in a day or two. >>>

For the most part, I keep this blog spiritually neutral. I feel that while we are here, we all need to work together to keep our planet a healthy place to live and thrive. Nevertheless, I am a Christian and I am thankful to be a Christian, even joyful to be a Christian.

I spent a significant portion of my life being agnostic and would have probably become completely atheistic had I not sought out occasional time in nature. In nature I very easily feel God's presence. Any time I quietly sit observing the natural world, I see and feel God at work. In watching the works of and doings of mankind I have a much harder time.

I tell you this because I wanted to share something else with you. I am happy. And I just realized it this morning. It's a strange feeling. Honestly, I am not used to it. In my family and circle of friends, we have seen lots of death, debt, and disease. These things have become the norm in our lives, and I am surrounded by people who have been and continue to be overwhelmed by this world.

When I realized that I am happy, I questioned it. The death, debt, and disease have not let up. Our problems have not lessened and there is a high probability that they are about to get worse. And I sure don't find a lot of hope in the more public Christians I see. (I do, however, find a lot of hope in the actions of quiet Christians around me who devote themselves to serving others.)

And I readily admit that I could be wrong in my faith, that this may indeed be just a big cosmic accident or that we may be plodding along in a big alien ant farm while they marvel at how cute we are.

If so, I don't want to know. I'd rather operate in my joyful and purpose-filled delusion. I want to grow in my faith in God and in the belief that we are here to serve others and to be stewards of the astounding gifts we've been given. I hope to humbly serve and I hope to to offer hope to those around me. I pray to God every day for that to happen.

And I realized this morning that I am happy and that the only big change lately is that I have spent more quiet time (you can call it prayer, or meditation, or a dork in a coffeehouse looking up at the ceiling) seeking God.

No matter what or how you believe, I hope that we can work together to make this a better and a healthier place for all. And I sincerely thank you for taking the time and mental dedication to read this. I hope that some morning soon, you will lie in bed and realize that you are happy, regardless of what is happening around you.