Growing faith in challenging situations

The roses are in bloom in our yard.

These varieties are hardy in our zone 2 yard and have survived a great deal of freedom to live without much interference.

Some of our other roses haven’t made it through the hard winters, but these ones seem to like it here.

These are all roses developed for Canadian prairie winters at the Morden Experimental Farm (left to right: Cabot, Centennial, Ruby, Snow Beauty, Campfire). Roses, developed in challenging conditions, can continue their thriving even when life gets harder.

As we grow our spiritual lives at home, we too can grow in challenging times.

We are designed by our living, loving Creator to make it through hard times.

What helps you to grow deep roots, to reach for support, to grow and be nourished in challenging times?

The things that I see being the most helpful for growing faith in challenging times are:

1. Community — people, and a Divine Family, who compassionately receive us as we are and encourage us to live into the truth of relationship with the Divine Family, other humans, and creation are a basic level, human need.
2. Dialogue — give and take in safe, human conversation helps us to know ourselves, our hopes and dreams, our spaces of pain and anguish, our griefs and losses.
3. Prayer — out of the experiences of being loved and heard, we can learn to listen to the Divine Family and we can grow a meaningful experience of prayer as we hear the Life-Giving Spirit prompt us.

Community, dialogue and prayer, turn our whole day into an invitation to grow our relationship of faith with the Divine Family, from preparing breakfast to completing our tax returns, from sharing our work to changing diapers, from pulling weeds to pitching a new idea.

Roses may be able to survive benign neglect. Our spiritual lives need more intention and attention than roses. Our souls suffer from isolation, so keep on finding ways in the midst of physical distancing to develop spiritual supports!

How are you growing deep spiritual roots?
How are you reaching for support in challenging times?
How you letting the Life-Giving Spirit pray in you?

The Life in you is beautiful. Your soul is worthy of receiving belonging, compassion and support today.

Thank you for being you!