Patience, you slay me
with your silence.
No answers, no exit, no relief
for months.
Yet every day you sit beside me
as we watch the sun rise again.
patience
A Time to Sow New Seeds
Today’s post is based on chapter 3 of my book, Newness of Life.
Of all the life seasons I wrote about in Newness of Life, the season I most identify with today is the season of planting. It’s ironic to think of planting in January, when the ground is frozen hard and the landscape is brown and grey. Yet seeds are beginning to germinate in my writing career, here in the cold darkness.
A few years ago I expanded my gardening skills by planting seeds indoors. Most seeds need artificial light to germinate, and a whole lot of it. I keep seed flats under fluorescent lighting on the counter tops in my laundry room, placing the trays mere inches away from the bright bulbs until they sprout. Those tiny seedlings thrive only if they are super-close to warmth and light.
Yet as I read the seed packet for verbena, one of my favorite bedding flowers, I was surprised when it said, “Verbena needs complete darkness to sprout.”
Complete darkness to sprout.