Sowing Together

November 27, 2024

Sowing Together

Psalm 126:5

May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

Sowing Together

Today, the Wednesday before the holiday, is a day that can make this metaphor about sowing more applicable to many of us than usual. We are planning for family gatherings, putting together menus, and cleaning seldom used guest rooms. We are planning to drive or fly on the busiest travel day of the year. We are sowing the seeds of the long weekend to come. And some of that sowing will be done in tears.

Perhaps there are people not with us this year, for a variety of reasons. Maybe we are concerned about what is to come in the coming year. Recently I’ve been thinking about the intersection of gratitude and grief. Could it be that allowing ourselves to search for the things we are grateful for might meet us in the times when tears are part of our journey, and help lighten the load? The Psalmist prays that people might reap with shouts of joy. I’d be more than happy with quiet connections, hopeful conversations, and shared meals around the table.

Reflection Questions:

1) What seeds are you sowing this holiday season?

2) How do you react to the idea of the intersection of grief and gratitude?

3) What do you need to sow to make room for a possibility of reaping joy of any volume?

Prayer: Dear God, As we walk into this weekend, help us to be open to tending to possibilities for joy. In Jesus Name, Amen