Written by acclaimed children’s author and member of LSM’s Minnesota Chapter, Anne E. Neuberger, this 42-page booklet is designed to encourage children to develop an awareness for all of nature and to appreciate it as a gift from God. The activities, stories, and prayers will help them take joy every day in creation. From that awareness, this resource then strives to encourage a child’s curiosity about the natural world, and subsequently, a concern for it. These aspirations are all interwoven with an attitude of joy and thankfulness for a loving God.
It can easily be adjusted for younger children or family use, used as a supplement to a religious education curriculum in parishes and schools, and is a good resource for anyone wanting to observe the Season of Creation (September 1–October 4).
I was blessed to have a circumstance in my childhood that most North American children don’t have today: I walked to school. It was only a few short blocks, but I walked it four times a day in elementary school, and twice a day during high school.
All my feelings about the seasons were formed on those daily walks in the upper Midwest of the United States. As August’s blazing sunshine mellowed and the daylight hours shortened, the deciduous trees began their slow change to warm yellows and oranges as the chlorophyll broke down. I didn’t understand that, but I reveled in the colors. I can easily recall the mellow smell of those autumn leaves and the scratchy-crunchy sound when “scruffing” through them. With that memory comes the feeling of delight I had with my friends as we shuffled our way through the many leaves on the sidewalks on our way home.
When the leaves were mostly down from the trees, the quiet browns and grays of November brought a sense of longing for the first snowfall. And what a delight that was! If it snowed during the night, it was like waking up in an entirely new world! All the familiar landmarks, from stop signs to towering trees and huddling bushes seemed unfamiliar, and sometimes comical. Now there were tons of new things to do outside! The air felt new and fresh on my cheeks, and while the neighborhood seemed hushed now, happy voices were clearly heard.
I paid attention to temperatures, because we walked to school even when temperatures were well below zero. Winter clothing was warmer then, and layers were added for those days, particularly over foreheads and cheeks (fingers and toes were already adequately covered before the extreme cold set it). On the very cold days, the snow made a sound when you stepped on it, rather like walking over a sidewalk made of Styrofoam—almost squeaky. Arriving at school was a relief, as the building was warm, and soon the discarded boots were creating tiny puddles in the hallways as they too warmed up.
Surrounded by bluffs and the mighty Mississippi River in college, I became aware that there was concern about the environment while talking with other students. That awareness heighted into greater and greater concern over the years. I have despairingly noted changes in weather patterns and temperatures. Last winter we had the first nearly snowless winter of my life. I learned just how much my mood and emotions were connected to the seasons. By January, I avoided looking out the windows, I was so disheartened by the lack of winter.
Ironically, it was during the time of isolation because of COVID, that the ideas for writing God’s Creation Waits began. I spent a great deal of time with a grandson, then 4 years old. We became very creative, using art projects to explore nature. We learned about different biomes and made paper dolls of the different animals in those biomes. We listened for the conversation of crows while we worked and called back to them. When an owl moved into the neighborhood, we went online and found websites that let us listen to the calls of the many different kinds of owls around the United States. (We decided the Great Gray had the spookiest voice!) During the season of Creation (September 1-October 4), we set up a “Creation Celebration table,” with statues of Saints Francis and Kateri Tekakwitha, adding lots of pinecones, acorns, stones, and pretty leaves each day.
These activities led me to think about other children having experiences like these. My work is writing for children. I have created books to introduce them to Catholic Social Teachings, often with stories and activities. I had written about the principle of Stewardship of the Earth already, but now I wanted a way to help children experience nature and all its beauty, subtle changes, and fascinating facts. Once we appreciate this, we look for more of it, and eventually come to see ways we can protect it.
I hope that the workbook, God’s Creation Waits, does just that. Use it at home, on vacation, at religious education classes, on Facetime calls. Include kids and adults of all ages! And together rejoice in the gift of God’s greatest gift to all of us.