As I reflect on today’s word, the thing that occurs to me is that anything we might raise, as in grow, cultivate, or, as the meditation mentioned, “make stronger, better or more noticeable,” requires work and effort as well as a certain amount of faith and willingness to risk.
I think about raising crops – prepare the soil, plant the seed, provide the water and nutrients, prevent or eliminate the weeds and pests that might threaten the crop – all a lot of work. And even so, crops fail. Nature comes along and throws a curve, hail, a windstorm, a drought, and all the efforts toward raising that crop can be thwarted. Or raising a child. We do everything in our power to protect them and to nurture their bodies, minds and spirits. We hope, we pray, we worry as we raise them, and far beyond into their adult lives. We know that there are things that can happen that are out of our control, but we work hard and hold faith.
Crops and kids and anything else we might wish to raise or raise up require our best efforts and also an ability to let go. At some point, when we have done our part, we have to let go. We’ve heard the story about the person who kept digging up their carrots to see how they were growing and ended up without a crop. And many of us know people who could not let go of the raising of their children enough to let them try things and perhaps fail, and in doing so prevented them from blossoming into their fullest selves.
Work, effort, faith, trust and letting go. All good practices for Advent and beyond.
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