Above all, trust in the slow work of God. We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay. We should like to skip the intermediate stages. We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.  And yet it is the law of all progress that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—and that it may take a very long time.
And so I think it is with you; your ideas mature gradually—let them grow; let them shape themselves, without undue haste. Don’t try to force them on, as though you could be today what time (that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will) will make of you tomorrow. Only God could say what this new spirit gradually forming within you will be. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that His hand is leading you, and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.
— Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, SJ

In summer, water rises through the xylem and disperses out of the million tiny mouths on the undersides of leaves, a hundred gallons a day evaporating from the [chestnut] tree’s airy crown into the humid Iowa air.
—Richard Powers, The Overstory

I listen to others
feel their tears
envy their stories
of connection
and transformation

while I
like the trees
have little to say
imperceptibly shaped
by seasons and smoke
yet gallons of water
are released in the air
as I give the Lord
the benefit of believing
that I am being led.

∗ ∗ ∗

Love Mischief for the World

This week I watched The Need to Grow, a California-based documentary about the depleted state of the soil due to pesticides and harmful agricultural practices and what an inventor, farmer, and Girl Guide are doing to make a change. They talked about living soil, regenerative agriculture, composting, and seed banks. Right here at home, Jo Tobias, founder of RootShoot Soils, is working “to help farmers regenerate the natural balance and symbiotic relationships between their crops and soil microorganisms.” Jo and Javan Kerby Bernakevitch of All Points Land Design are offering a 12-week online workshop starting November 17th, 2020. Javan and Jo will share knowledge and practical skills to adapt and transition towards regenerative practices conducive to soil life.

What love mischief are you and God doing for the world?
Let me know and I will include it in an upcoming post.

Credits and References:
Chestnut tree by eltpics. Used with permission.

© Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim, 2020.
Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without permission from Esther Hizsa is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used provided there is a link to the original content and credit is given as follows: © Esther Hizsa, An Everyday Pilgrim 2013-2020.  http://www.estherhizsa.com