Today I want to share with you a story from Connections entitled “A seed is planted.”  Our faithfulness as a disciple allows God’s grace to embed itself deeper and deeper into our being.  May your faithfulness to your Baptismal promises allow God’s light to shine brighter today and everyday.

“In her book My Grandfather’s Blessings: Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging, physician Rachel Naomi Remen tells of the many unusual gifts she received from her beloved grandfather, an Orthodox rabbi and scholar.

Once, when she was four, her grandfather brought her a paper cup.  She expected to find something special inside.  It was full of dirt.  Disappointed, little Rachel told her grandfather that she wasn’t allowed to play with dirt.  Her grandfather smiled.  He took her little teapot from her doll’s tea set and took Rachel to the kitchen where he filled it with water.  He put the little cup on a windowsill in her room and handed her the teapot.

‘If you promise to put some water in this cup every day, something may happen,’ he told her.

This made little sense to a four-year-old, but little Rachel promised.  ‘Every day,’ he repeated.  At first, Rachel did not mind pouring water into the cup, but as the days went on and nothing happened, it became harder and harder to remember to do it.  After a week, she asked her grandfather if it was time to stop yet.  Grandfather shook his head.  ‘Every day,’ he repeated.

The second week it became even harder, but Grandfather held her to her promise:  ‘Every day.’  Sometimes she would only remember about the water after she went to bed and would have to get up in the middle of the night and water it in the dark.  But, in the end, Rachel did not miss a single day of watering.

Then, one morning three weeks later, there were two little green leaves that had not been there the night before.  Rachel was completely astonished.  She could not wait to tell her grandfather, certain that he would be as surprised as she was — but, of course, he wasn’t.  Carefully he explained to his beloved granddaughter that life is everywhere, hidden in the most ordinary and unlikely places.

Rachel was delighted. ‘And all it needs is water, Grandpa?’

Gently, he touched her on the top of her head.  ‘No, dear Rachel.  All it needs is your faithfulness.’”

Today and everyday we are plant the seeds of faith by our lives, we are the Lord's water meant to nourish the faithfulness of all those we meet.  Pray that the seed of faith is nourished in (name someone) and give that seed the water of faith to grow and flourish.

May God Be Praised!