There is that old saying that if March comes in like a lion, it leaves as a lamb… something like that! Well, I don’t remember how it came in, but it is going out like a lion here in the Northeast. Our daffodils are fighting for their lives! Hopefully April will bring us some warm sunny days.
During my Lenten journey, I came across a reflection that spoke of compost, fertilizer, acres of land, and holy ground. I’m sure you’re thinking, “So…?” Well, I was intrigued with the connection of all these things! We know that Lent helps us weed out: get rid of stuff in our live that we find unpleasant. It is sort of how we form a compost pile, if you are into doing that. Food scraps, leaves, grass and other organic discardables help to form a rich fertilizer.
Lent helps us to create a compost pile, not only for these forty days, but for our lives. It is not a good idea to let our problems in life decompose within us – it can get smelly! Author Edward Hays suggests that “prayerfully placing a difficulty in a symbolic compost pile allows for the kind of chemical reaction among the various elements that can transform a situation. It provides the kind of distance that is often needed between a painful event and your ability to use that misfortune to work for good”.
This is where the acre of land comes in. God has given each of us a purpose in life, one might say an acre of land. What we do with our life and land is up to us. We can work on taking our compost and dumping it on others, or we can use it to fertilize the life and land given to us and create a beautiful garden. We can’t provide serious care for the entirety of the world, but we can at least care for and nurture our life, our acre of land. I can bet you that God will only be interested in how you cultivated and what you did with your life and land!
Like Moses, we can begin to consider our lives and land as holy ground. If we see it as holy ground for us and others having their own holy ground, I believe we can bear much fruit, the fruits of the Spirit. “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matthew 7:15-20).
With the little time that is left in Lent, why not start a compost pile and clear that acre of land given to you by God, and plant the seeds that will help to produce good fruit? Each of us know what fruit we would like and need to grow. Why not start this week? Create your compost pile, put it in a prayerful place, and don’t dump it on anyone else. Use it to help your land produce great fruit. I know you can do it; I’m sure going to try!
I may have to ask for some help as I don’t exactly have a green thumb, but here is where a spiritual director, good friend, and of course the Holy Spirit come in. Just imagine the beautiful garden you can create for Easter.
Wishing you a good week of gardening!
Till next week,
Sister Theresita