Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. John 12:24
“I gaze lovingly at my dinner plate filled with gifts from the earth. I am touched, overwhelmed at the truth that everything I eat has in some way had to die so I could live. It is the way of the earth, and I do not completely understand it. Ponder over the truth for a while. It may bring tears to your eyes. And if it does, I encourage you to welcome them. They could be healing. I gaze more lovingly still. Gratitude overflows! I ask my heart a hard question: What is it in me that must die before I can truly give life to others?”
Macrina Wiederkehr in Seasons of Your Heart: Prayers and Reflections, Revised and Expanded (New York: HarperCollins, 1991) 129.
We ate a full plate of food yesterday for Thanksgiving. Perhaps you did too? So this is a perfect thought to ponder. Everything on that plate had to die so that you and I might eat it and have life.
May this thought fill you with gratitude and propel you to generosity. I pray it also inspires you to soak in this question: “What is it in me that must die before I can truly give life to others?”
Today is Black Friday in USA. It’s the day marketers offer us deals to get us to spend as much money as possible. Buy what you need, for sure, as you may get necessities at great prices.
In dying to consumerism and instead choosing generosity we set an example for others which just might help them grasp the life that is truly life, which is what they are looking for while shopping anyway.
If you are looking for a place to give to spread this kind of thinking worldwide, support the “give a gift that grows” effort. Click here to learn more.