Prayer: Thank you, Holy Spirit, for planting me where I am, for nourishing me with your love, for caring me while I grow, for making me one of your own. Amen.
Reading: Ephesians 3:14-21 (Click to read text) Stop and GROW: After reading the text, discuss/ponder the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's Book of Faith questions, which are part of Camp Mount Luther's GROW Time with campers. QUESTION 1: What scares, confuses, challenges, or doesn’t make sense to me in this text? QUESTION 2: What delights me in this text or is my favorite part of the story? QUESTION 3: What stories or memories does this text stir in me? QUESTION 4: What is God up to in this text? Reflection: I’ve been spending my days with six-year-old twins this week, my niece and nephew. For me, whose children are grown (my youngest is now 19), I have thoroughly enjoyed this time when a trip to McDonald’s can be an adventure and even mundane tasks have the potential to take on marvelous significance when tackling them with a child’s enthusiasm. One such undertaking has been re-planting my sister’s garden wall. Yesterday, we cleared the surface of dead leaves and old growth; groans and gags broadcast each new batch of bugs or worms or mushy mushrooms. That gave us a chance to talk about how these “grossy-josie” things are all part of God’s plan to nourish the soil and plants. Today, we selected hardy annuals, drought-resistant yet shade-loving, as I explained how God made so many different kinds of plants to live in all types of gardens. I finished with a promise that even though the flowers look tiny and a little lonely spread far apart in the raised bed as positioned now, over the next weeks with a little water and care from the kids, their roots will dig deep and spread out underground until they can reach each other’s tendrils. Once established, they will be able to withstand dry spells and even the lack of sun. Soon, the whole flower bed will be bursting in colorful blooms. How like His flowers and plants are we, His human design? We, too, are planted here and there, all different yet similar in our basic needs, able to spread out and connect with others. So long as we are rooted and well-nourished, we can flourish in all God’s intended glory. Our faith and the love of our creator get us through the tough patches, help us turn the icky parts of life into opportunities to grow, and make us stronger and even more beautiful. Indeed, thanks be to God! --Heather LeBlanc
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