A Cup of Conversation – June 2020

There has been much to reflect on over the last couple of months. In addition to the sobering questions about the health of our community and the rest of the world, everything we’ve built over the last generation is at risk. We’re not alone. Few if any are not greatly affected by the pandemic reality. Even when this multi-level sickness event is over, then comes the global economic fallout. No one knows just how deep it will be and how long it will last. One thing however is without question, there will be a great deal of suffering for many, many people.

Thirty years ago this fall, to start a new life here, Mary and I left behind a world many would say had everything anyone could possibly want. Money, success, freedom, time, unlimited opportunity, autonomy and the youth to enjoy it all. None of these things, however, deepen the human spirit because the soul doesn’t blossom on Easy Street. It just doesn’t.

It takes a while to see the harvest of life lived for more than just the bottom line. That life is filled with struggle, trial, pain and the faith to overcome. At the end of our days here when we look back on the choices and sacrifices made to live a small-town life, things like this note we recently received from one of our own will define the why of it all. Truth is we’ve been seeing this kind of good come almost daily for decades now from young people we’ve employed and mentored, customers we serve and neighbors expressing love and appreciation. We’re more than confident that can be called a life well lived. We have no confidence whatsoever the same would be true had we stayed.

-Sunflower-

One summer day I was finishing up my run when I looked over and saw a sunflower poking its way through a bundle of blackberry bushes. A seed was dropped in the most unfortunate of places. It landed where many before had landed and where few had ever tried and even fewer had succeeded. However, this flower chose not to let its surroundings affect its ability to bloom. No one would have blamed the flower if it gave in to its circumstances and gave up as a seedling; in fact no one would have ever known a seed landed there.

Because this flower chose to struggle through the thorns and fought for its life just so it could look to the sun and bloom, every morning when I ran past the flower it put a smile on my face. Every morning when I ran past the sun flower, I was reminded that even when life gets rough, I can look up to the sun of God and bloom. When we are in tough situations, when life gets hard, when the thorns stab a little deeper, when we are surrounded by nothing but weeds who wish to choke out our existence, look to the sun, soak in his glory, bask in his presence, and never give up. If we can look to God instead of what we are surrounded by then God will give us the strength to push up and to look up, to keep moving forward, to never give up, to never give in to the voice that says, “Just quit already.” If we can look to the sun of God in the hardest of times we can bloom when it seems impossible.

What is wearing you down, and choking you out? What is stabbing your side and stealing all your nutrients? What is making it seem impossible for you to grow? Choose today to look past it, look beyond it, choose today to look to God. Bask in his love, soak in his wisdom, and bloom. Let others see you and smile. Be a reminder to others to keep God as their focus and they too can bloom. When we chose to look up instead of around, that is when our lives can be made truly beautiful. By blooming instead of glooming we can live a life that is remembered, and is inspiring.

Today let’s choose to be like a sunflower landed in the impossible but making every effort to use God’s strength to make the impossible possible. ~Sierra Brown

Whatever the road ahead brings, we want everyone to know how grateful we are for the love, support and kindness you’ve shown us for the past thirty years. It’s been an honor to serve all of you.

Be good not bitter.