Prepare

Prepare

He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.

MY FRIEND MELISSA’S FAMILY had been farming for decades. One year, they asked if I’d like to help prepare for planting by picking rock. Curious, I agreed, and soon found myself walking the fields with Melissa and her cousins. Dust tickled our noses as we walked behind a truck, searching for rocks. Whenever we’d spot one of the many rocks in the field, we’d toss it onto the trailer attached to the truck.

Sometimes a rock would be a bit too big, and one of Melissa’s cousins would step in and grab it, heaving it over the edge. It was hot, dirty work, but with a group of us together it was fun. At the end of the day, I wiped a sweaty arm across my forehead and surveyed the rocks, amazed at how many we’d accumulated.

In colder climates like ours, farmers have to remove rocks that rise to the surface from their fields every year. It’s a necessary part of preparing the ground for planting. The rocks are from glacial deposits and migrate upwards over time due to the effects of freezing and thawing. The effect is most obvious in tilled soil—like a farmer’s field or a gardener’s vegetable bed—because the rocks are able to move upward unimpeded by things like trees. Farmers pick rock so that their equipment won’t be damaged. Their ability to plant and harvest is directly tied to how they prepare the soil.

Like those dusty fields, our hearts are often compared to soil, the seeds of God’s love and his message of our salvation a truth that is scattered and waiting to take root. Yet it’s also true that our hearts can resemble the rocky soil of a spring field, with smaller hurts and larger pains emerging over time to interrupt the ability of God’s love to grow in our hearts. As Christians, we must prepare our hearts to receive God’s truths by removing impediments. Let’s sift through the soil of our own hearts to prepare room for Jesus and his light to shine within.

Lord, help us to address the rocks that rise in our own hearts. May we foster the truth of your love and mercy in our hearts instead. Amen.

-Kristin

One Good Step: What rocks need to be removed from your heart so you can prepare room for Jesus’ light to shine?