Out of this World Gratitude
November is going to be our Month of Gratitude at Mosaic. I get to start the month with a perspective on our home – the earth. It comes from Dr. Kjell Lindgren, a NASA astronaut.
Dr. Lindgren has a family connection to Mosaic. He is named after his great-grandfather, the Rev. K.G. William Dahl, founder of Bethphage, one of the organizations that came together as Mosaic in 2003. Kjell (pronounced Chell) was Pastor Dahl’s first name too.
When Dr. Lindgren spent six months on the space station in 2015, he took with him a couple of items from Bethphage history. That’s pretty cool for Mosaic and we’re excited to get them back on display in our little history museum in Axtell, Nebraska. I’m sure Pastor Dahl could never have imagined that development in the history of the mission he started.
Earlier this year, Mosaic was lucky to have Dr. Lindgren speak at a luncheon we held in Dallas. He speaks eloquently about teamwork and living a life of service – values he said are exemplified in the work of Mosaic. Those ideas also influence how he speaks about the earth, our home. The view from the space station gives a unique perspective, he said.
“You have the opportunity to see the full face of the earth hanging in the cold void of space to see it in all of its constantly changing beauty,” he said. “All of that beauty is covered in a very fragile atmosphere.”
The crew of the space station understood the need to take care of their vessel. Dr. Lindgren said they spend 40 percent of their time maintaining the space station. They recognize that it is their habitat, their protection from danger. He suggests that the earth is our equivalent of the space station, yet we don’t spend nearly that amount of time maintaining it.
“Our home is a fragile finite resource that we need to be taking care of,” he said.
To that end, Dr. Lindgren said, all of us are a part of the team, the “crew” of earth.
Our life experiences shape our perspectives. Only a select few have the opportunity to view the earth as Dr. Lindgren did, and it gave him a unique perspective, one worthy of our reflection.
The gift of life we cherish would not be possible without the protection and sustenance of the earth – our space vessel. Dr. Lindgren, a devout Christian, suggests we ask, “How can I be a better steward of the earth?”
That’s a question that comes from a heart of gratitude; what we cherish, we work to protect.