Good morning, God, and thank you much for this new day in our lives! We actually had some sunshine and warmth yesterday, after Monday's cold and snow, and that was very helpful for our morale!
Speaking of the weather, it's getting pretty worrisome here as we witness the changes that are happening so incredibly quickly on this planet. We've certainly done a number on this planet, haven't we? Watching the disappearance of the polar ice and seeing the extreme heat and dryness that are going to happen in our own Southwest this year, it's difficult not to be worried about our future. We've come to love the people who share this planet with us, yet we're turning this planet into an inhospitable place for our descendants, who are going to inherit a planet that may not even be able to sustain even the most meager of lives among humans.
What are we doing?
And what can we do? I know that all problems come with their solutions embedded in them, but not all of us are able to implement far-reaching solutions. What can I do? I know the things that I can do on a very small scale, but is that helping at all? It's a very frustrating time to be alive, to be honest, as it's so easy to feel helpless and ineffective in the face of the truly huge problems that are facing us.
So what can we do? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
A reply:
You know from your time in the Army, especially, that sometimes, not everyone will know what other people know, but when you combine that knowledge, the two pieces of information can be very helpful.
Your own efforts at conservation and recycling, for example, are extremely small. They would be completely ineffective on their own. But one of your neighbors is also doing the same thing, and millions of people all over the world are contributing in their own small ways--and all of you together are doing something large.
You must let go of the need to see concrete results, and continue to do what you know is right. You're not in a policy-making position, so you need to contribute on your level, in your ways.
The planet is in very bad shape, but there are signs of hope all over the place. Focus on those. If someone does something cruel or stupid or destructive, respond to it in your ways. You may not change things on the grander scale, but you may create a ripple in the water that will reach others, and together you may make a movement that can be very helpful on a larger--though still small--scale.
It's a shame, because the planet that you're on could be a paradise for everyone; instead, most of the people on it live in a kind of a hell that consists of poverty, hunger, sickness, and hopelessness. And it's other people who have caused that hell. One day, I hope, those other people will be the powerless ones, and those who seek to better the conditions of life for all people and animals and plants on the planet will be the ones who have the most control. It's up to you all, though, not to me.
