The new abundance of spare time that I have come upon has allowed me to get back to some of the things that I love most in life. One of those things happens to be gardening. When I’m digging through the earth, I feel an innate connection to God and my own mortality. It’s the best spiritual discipline I can think of, getting in touch with the soil that made me and that one day I will return to.
There’s an interesting thing about gardening that few people think about. A lot of folks think they just don’t have a green thumb, but there are a variety of variables to consider beyond putting seeds or plants in the ground.
I was out in the garden picking up rocks the other day with my partner, and he told me how his family spent over 10 years clearing rocks from their large family garden. TEN YEARS. It was a little deflating. It’s like they pop up out of nowhere year after year.
The most difficult are in my two gardens at camp. Right now there are so many rocks and weeds in both of them that it’s a bit overwhelming. At this point, they may have to lie fallow for the year, but eventually in order for the gardens to flourish, I have to pick the rocks up one by one and remove them.
The more rocks I remove, the more chances my plants have of surviving, not only this year but for many years to come.
It made me think of all the time we have right now to devote to removing rocks from our lives. The pandemic has only reinforced that there is so much in our lives and society that we see is not working. It’s prohibiting us as individuals and as a larger community to grow and thrive.
For some of us at the moment, it may feel like our prize-winning heirlooms are the things being pulled out rather than rocks and weeds, but right now we have the ability to reflect upon and shape a future that we all want to see. One where everyone is able to flourish.
Jesus taught us that faith cannot flourish when we toss our seeds willy nilly. So, what are the rocks you are ready to remove from your life? What needs to go so that you can flourish? What do we as a society need to remove for the wellbeing and blessing of all people?
Rev. Molly DeWitt, Program Director
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