Dear Ones,

Between the heat and the smoke, many of us are being forced to stay inside these days, which can be very hard on our physical and mental health. Since we have a 9-month old puppy who needs vigorous exercise, I’m trying to still make it out for a walk twice a day. It’s been challenging, to say the least.

Yesterday I was out walking and found myself almost overwhelmed by the sadness of the situation—fires raging in my beloved home state, so many lives lost to this pandemic, each crisis seeming to compound the effects of the one before it. The grey sky certainly matched my mood.

Then Poppy stopped at a tree, as one does if one is a dog, and I noticed a sign on the tree that stated some facts about the tree’s contribution to our common good. It read,

“This tree gives back: $47
CO-2 reduced: 127 lbs
Energy saved: 172 kwh”

Now, in all honesty, I am not 100 percent sure what all those figures mean and I’m definitely not crazy about the tactic of monetizing what trees “give back”—how do we put a dollar value on beauty, solace, and companionship? Still, I recognize that for some people those are very meaningful measurements, and so I’m glad that someone is taking the time to calculate and publicly display them.

Thinking about all this bumped me out of the gloom and doom that had enshrouded me. I stopped to thank the tree, to thank God for trees, and to feel gratitude for all the unsung trees all around that not only give back to us, but make our lives on this earth possible.

Have you ever had a sign, literal or figurative, that reminded you of God’s presence and providential care? This sign was that for me.

And it reminded me of one other thing, as well: I don’t have to be happy to feel gratitude. But being grateful can sure help me feel some happiness, too.

My prayers for our community this week are that we all might find such signs along the way, reminders that goodness and mercy are all around us.

Blessings,
Pamela+