This winter has been a hard one across the US. With more snow, sleet and freezing rain than I remember in past Carolina winters, our cities and towns are weary from the impact of this weather on home life, business and work. Even as I write, the weather is dreary and rainy with temperatures at the freezing point. This weather could easily change to a wintry mix and stop traffic, stop commerce, bring to a screeching halt people who work, need work or who need food or housing.
Today I hope to visit a friend's garden. While there's nothing growing and we're still in the dead of winter, it is time to turn our minds towards plans for our gardens. We had talked about the excitement of getting the first seed catalogs. Bonnie is an expert gardener and I've gardened because of my love of the land, but I want to learn more. My grandparents in Stanly County had gardens that were large and productive. As a child, I sometimes wearied of all the work of a garden, the back breaking work of picking up potatoes or picking strawberries. Shelling Crowder peas was fun for about a bowl of time and my grandparents always had buckets. As a child, I took for granted the bounty of my grandparents' gardens and never understood all the work, planning and love that went into gardening. During my grandparents' early life, the garden of course was the only way they could have enough food for family. Born in the late 19th century and early 20th century, a garden was more for survival, not a hobby or interest. I do know that my grandparents loved their gardens though.
It was not until I started gardening on my own that I discovered that gardening is also a spiritual exercise. Planting seed, waiting, watching and praying for a plant to grow gives a person a tangible example of what it means to live a life in faith. We plant a seed and we cannot see its process under the ground. We pray a prayer and cannot see an immediate answer so we wait. Many of Jesus' parables used the planting of a seed to explain to his listeners what the kingdom of heaven is like. As a result, we have many books, commentaries and songs that discuss the analogy of how the seed and the plant teach us about a life of faith. You may even be reading to one of these books now or listening to such a song.
Thinking on Jesus' exhortation to live a life that bears fruit I contemplate the events of the past twenty four hours. Yesterday I had several people come to me in need. Some of them only needed someone to listen. Another's need was as simple as having an extra plastic spoon. Then there were the larger issues as some needed to find food and shelter. Those larger needs haunted me all day because while I was able to connect one person with MANNA, I was not able to help the person find housing. While the person had a bed for the night and food, what will happen today or tomorrow when they must eat again and sleep again? There is only so much a person can do and the winter weather has put an extra strain on our agencies' resources. I came home feeling helpless and posted to my Facebook friends, "JRobin Whitley is not a social worker or a miracle worker. Today I wish I was one or the other. God bless us every one." I talked with my best friend about the challenge and my heart would not lighten knowing others were in such a dilemma.
Today, I awaken and remember Jesus saying to the disciples, "The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want. But you will not always have me." (Mark 14:7 - NIV) Jesus was always on the side of the underdog, the poor, and the lowly and yet he states this. With an economy that still has not turned around as people continue to lose jobs, I find myself asking how to help so many. Even Jesus could not feed all the hungry, poor and heal all the sick, so what makes me think that I can or that you can?
In this passage I think that we are called to look to a larger need that when addressed, will enlarge our outreach to others. As human beings we have limitations. We can only do so much no matter of our intent, wishes or dreams. When we look at the needs in our communities, it is easy to get overwhelmed by others needs as we struggle to maintain our own jobs and homes. Our gardens are not large enough to meet all the needs of those around us. A friend shared a quote today showing us another viewpoint when looking at our neighbors in need:
"Don't ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman
Thurman's instruction does not intend for us to ignore the poor and think only of ourselves. While widely known for his work with civil rights, I first heard of Howard Thurman as a justice theologian. In other words, when he wrote theology his viewpoint always addressed how we see God working in and through the poor. He was raised by his grandmother who had once been enslaved and his family was not wealthy. When his family had raised enough money for him to go to high school he had to pay for his train ticket to get him to the school and it took all his money. He had no money left for his baggage to be shipped. As he sat crying a stranger walked by him and paid the ticket. As a result, Thurman dedicated his first book to "to the stranger in the railroad station in Daytona Beach who restored my broken dream sixty-five years ago."
We often forget that it is not only the larger gifts that can make a difference in person's life. When we can be present to another in a moment of need, we plant a seed of hope. We can help with one thing, one need and that will make a difference. My artist friend responded to my Facebook post by saying:
"It just occurred to me that we can be either of those things [social worker or miracle worker] with each encounter with another human being; not if we try to be, but if we get away from our ego for a moment and be present with them." ~Mark Stephenson
Winter is a hard, cold time when life and the world around us seems only varying shades of gray or brown. You are the garden. You are fertile ground for hope, justice and love. You are the life sprouting in the midst of suffering and despair. It is not that we can save the world, but by becoming alive in our own gifts and talents, we somehow help others. What does make you come alive? When you come alive there is fruit from your life. When others see you come alive many become inspired to live too. Sprouts are peeking up from our winter grounds even now, they are daffodils and crocus. You are the life peeking out from the dark of winter. You are the garden in this winter of need.
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Recommended reading: Garden Graces by Janis Elsheimer
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