Skip to main content

Real Sustainability: Relationship with One Who Sustains


Sustainability is a word that comes up over and over.  Sustainable practice. Sustainable projects.  Sustainable funding.  Sustainable living.  Sustainable thinking.  

If I'm looking at funding-this is one of the first questions asked.  If I'm reading about gardening or farming...this word is weaved throughout.

Sustainable: Able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.  Able to be upheld or defended.

The word has a feeling of confidence and a sense of control to it.  I CAN SUSTAIN "it" and can ensure it's continuation. 

Today I was struck by the arrogance of this word and the way we use it as a culture.  

True sustainability is all about total reliance on the ONE who can sustain.  The only one that can maintain, uphold and defend us and our world. 

It is not our ability to live sustainable lives but rather our dependence on the ONE who sustains all life.

Our focus needs to be on our relationship with God and with those we love.  These relationships are the only truly eternal sustainable practice that matters.





Comments

Popular posts from this blog

1940 Canned Apple Butter: Family Root Cellar

I loved exploration as a child.  From opening the door and going down the stairs to get something from my Grandma's root cellar or exploring old homesteads while checking cows.  I credit my Mom with teaching us to appreciate those things that represented the people who had gone before us. When I moved with my husband and boys to a house on the family ranch-I began exploring immediately.  This was the house my Aunt and Uncle lived in during my childhood.  My Grandparents had lived there and many other families dating back to 1900 when it was built.   With two little boys in tow, I made my way to the root cellar and found a treasure cove.  Old text books belonging to the original family who had been a teacher, the original medicine cupboard, tools, trash and memorabilia.   I felt like an archeologist sifting through layers of debris representing generations and culture.  And I was.  I hauled truckloads of trash to the dump (some...

Diabetes-Opened to Disease OR Open to Connecting to my Strengths

I've tried living in denial for two years after the big D diagnoses was handed over.  Honestly, I just don't want to talk about it.  Outwardly seemly calm and disconnected from it.  Inwardly terrified. As a plant that is stressed is open to disease, injury and death so to our bodies are.  I opened myself up to this.  Stress, lack of sleep, bad nutrition, overweight and lack of exercise.  For some reason I believed that if I ran fast enough and worked hard enough, I would outrun my family genes.  The tiny room in the back of my brain locked with a key has kept the fear of this disease at bay even though I could hear its screaming when life quieted down. My Aunt died piece by piece to this disease.  First a heart attack and quadruple by-pass.  Then a toe.  Next a foot.  Legs came next along with more heart attacks.  Kidneys shutting down.  She died very young. When I was little, my Aunt Ally gave herself s...

Green Space and Green Houses...(Long Sigh)

Finally...I went to the greenhouse!  One of my favorite places to go.  Magical places where plants reach out to me as I walk down the aisles!  It is almost as if they are jumping right into my arms!  Touching various textures of velvet, hairy, smooth and delicate.  Sensory buffet of smells from the sweet, sharp and the musty smell of potting soil mixing together in amazing harmony! With my bounty of found treasure I carry my package with great care to the car and then to my shed.  Tomorrow, I tell myself.  Tomorrow I will plant them.....but then I see that empty pot.  O.k. just one.  I'll just plant one tonight. The vines have covered my livestock panels creating a beautiful green wall over the dilapidated fence.  My butterfly bush, Russian sage and other plants are knee high.  Day lillies and hostas are competing for attention.  A respite in my yard. But it is not just me.  Our brains are wired to need g...