“But when does something's destiny finally come to fruition? Is the plant complete when it flowers? When it goes to seed? When the seeds sprout? When everything turns into compost?” ― Leonard Koren, Wabi-Sabi Have you ever felt like, instead of the young plant, growing taller and sturdier, you were the compost? Like you have known what it is to be the seed opening to new life, the shoot seeking out fresh air and sun, the blossoming, the fruiting… and now you have shed much of what-was, and are a bit more like the compost nourishing the soil for the next round of seeds? It feels different, doesn’t it, to be the one *providing* nourishment to the next generation, rather than being the one *receiving* it? You might even feel a little dead - just the leftovers from the life you once knew. And perhaps this is part of our role as we age, things settle, and we *have* that kind of nourishment to offer…! But also, no matter our age, we will always have the seeds of new life being planted in our depths. Our job is to be vulnerable to opening to that new life, again and again. New things will grow up in us. There will be more in our garden than we ever imagined possible. So, if you are feeling like compost right now – things that were once signs of life now breaking down into dirt… First consider what nourishment your particular experiences will have made it possible for you to provide to the new seeds waiting to grow. Then, consider what those new seeds in *you* might be. Where might God be inviting you to allow yourself to soften into the soil and let new growth emerge? Even if it feels vulnerable to be opening, to be “starting over” like that? How does knowing this cycle of birth, growth, flowering, fruiting, falling back to earth (and then starting all over again) bring hope into this space for you and give you courage to be in whichever part of the process *you* are in *right now*?

Posted by Jamie Bonilla at 2021-05-06 14:08:12 UTC