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And God said '[Beeswax wraps are] very good'.
While beeswax wraps might not be specifically mentioned in the Gospel, they are still very good. Lieutenant Kylie Overbye of The Salvation Army Rotorua Corps speaks about her sustainable beeswax venture, creation care and the way that this helps support the church family.
'God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground."' - Genesis 1:28
After humans were created in the Genesis 1 account, God blessed them and made them stewards and caretakers over all the earth.
This tells us that we are part of creation and we’ve been charged with its ongoing care. When I read that, I have to stop, look up and take a closer look at creation itself. I see the plants, fruit, vegetables, trees, waterways and animals... and to think we are responsible for its care and keeping! I’m in awe of the beautiful craftsmanship of creation itself.
As the world has progressed, we have discovered that our most clever developments (like mass-production) have had the most significant effect on the 'earth's groaning' we see today.
I wonder - do we have a responsibility as humans - one part of God's creation - to change our habits, as we realise the damage we are doing to the rest of creation?
A journey as a sustainable family
For the past ten years I’ve been compelled to change how I live when it comes to matters of creation-care, sustainability and healthy ways of well-being.
Our family started this journey by growing our own vegetables and planting a variety of trees (including fruit trees). We began reducing our carbon footprint by recycling, using solar technology and finding environmentally-friendly solutions for heating and running our home. I knew my family wasn’t going to make a huge dent in reversing the effects of creation's distress, but it felt good to know we were doing something.
I wanted this for our church family too.
Plastic not-so-fantastic
'For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' - Ephesians 2:10
Did you know that single-use plastics are one of the biggest contributors to pollution of our waterways and planet? People are starting to take notice. A hot topic around the world is plastic waste and big companies are now wanting to do something about it. But how can we do our part?
Here are a few alternatives to try instead of single-use plastics:
Single-use plastic bags: Give up single-use plastic bags and use environmentally-friendly reusable bags instead.
Single-use plastic food packaging: Purchase raw ingredients at Bin Inn and take your own containers.
Single-use water bottles: Bring your own metal or sturdy water bottle and refill it. Plastics leach into the water and poison your digestive system over time.
Single-use takeaway containers: Consider taking your own lunchbox container to the takeaway store, and reusable coffee cup to the coffee shop!
Single-use cling film: Try our beeswax wraps instead!
Our thrifty beeswax wraps
Ever since I discovered beeswax wraps as an alternative to non-recyclable cling-film, I have loved the idea of a natural, anti-bacterial and biodegradable product that can be re-used and look cool at the same time!
My own kids began to take their beeswax-wrapped lunches to school with pride, feeling good about their environmental choice. People’s interest grew as they saw how useful these natural, sustainable wraps were - teachers began enquiring about them and a local company has been promoting them as part of their staff environmental challenge!
Another benefit was in my role as a Corps Officers at The Salvation Army Rotorua: we needed to find a way to fund the Children and Youth ministries as new children were coming to church. Combining my love of creation-care and the growing ministry, we decided to sell beeswax wraps as a fundraiser - with all profits going to helping young people attend Easter Camp and Kids Camp.
Our women have helped with the production of beeswax wraps, and are now also helping make re-useable bags at Plastic Free July workshops run by the Corps. The next step for us is to find a way to make these wraps even more affordable for all families, and get them into homes as part of our everyday utilities.
We’re thrilled people are making conscious decisions to positively impact our environment.
'God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.' - Genesis 1:31
We are stewards of earth and we are part of creation - so being environmentally-friendly isn't just a good thing to do, it's a very good thing to do.
We have three packs of Rotorua Salvation Army's beeswax wraps to give away! Head on over to The Salvation Army Women's Ministries Facebook Page to enter the draw to win a pack of eco-friendly goodies.
Don't forget to like The Salvation Army Rotorua's Facebook Page, purchase wraps through there and support their ministry.