Act of hope

Gardening is an act of faith, an expression of hope. For me, the summer is a time of celebration: My husband and I love to garden and have a sizable vegetable garden and meandering flower beds. The roses are extravagant in color and aroma. The cucumbers are prolific. The tomatoes and corn are flirting with us as they near fruitfulness.

It’s time for us to do a yippee-skippee dance. Of course, gardening in high summer requires a lot of work and stamina—irrigation and tender loving care. It helps on those sweaty summer days to laugh out loud occasionally. Our grandson Peter, at the age of six, took his farming duties seriously. As the corn began to send up little green spears, he pulled several of them and inspected their roots. “Nope, they aren’t ready yet.”

My heart aches for those parents without access to a garden, trying to feed their children on the expensive food from the quickie mart. Those hot dogs and sodas are no nutrition for growing, learning children who deserve better. What can we do to support and feed those families? Engage the challenge of feeding the children in your community.

This message was adapted from “An Act of Hope” written by Terry L. Bowes that first appeared in the July/August 2011 issue of Lutheran Woman Today (now Gather) magazine.