I am so lonely. I stand here, my soul a scoured place. Slowly eroded by years of wind. A barren and destitute place. The wind howls through, it has taken the topsoil, the layer underneath, and it is starting to abrade the bedrock.

I tried for many years to build up walls to stop the blowing, to no avail. these walls felt substantial, and seemed impressive, but they were always eroded under the lashing of the wind. The emptiness at the core of my heart, a constant force.

I was given a seed. The seed of love, and I started to water it with my tears. Not much happened at first, but I continued to cradle that spindly shoot on the bedrock. It spread its roots and such was its power that the rock cracked, eroded, and became soil again.

I tend my garden today. That first seed has grown into a mighty Sequoia. Around it are saplings of all the people that I have invited into my life. You see, I don’t need to build walls any more. I don’t need to keep out the wind. The trees are strong enough to bend with the wind, and even if it knocks some of them down, there are others growing to take their place. Growing in the soil that is nourished with their love.

The mighty Sequoia standing in the middle protected, and nourished by the trees around it. It is fed by hope, compassion, self sacrifice, service, creativity, and persistence. The wind will always blow. Some days more than others. Stand with me, lean into my branches, as we get jostled about. Look to me for support, as I lean into you.

At times I still feel the loneliness. My heart still pines for my Father, but I realize that he has fed me in some ways. He has contributed to my soil, he is part of me, even if that part is just the bedrock.  At those times I am leaning on you.

Its time to go planting.