Growth in our faith matters

Here we are already going into May. I had a thought (I know… kind of scary, you are thinking here we go she is thinking again) and decided to look up what “the month of May” is defined as. Well of course it is the 5th month as we all know, but did you know it is named after a Roman goddess “Maia” who oversees plant growth? I did not. But with that in mind, I then wanted to look up what “may’’ as just a word meant. It is defined as “a word expressing possibility, opportunity, permission, wish, hope, and prayer.” Or “used when admitting that something is so before making another, more important point.”

After looking up the two meanings, I got to thinking that they sort of have a lot in common. The month of May is named after a goddess who oversees plant growth, and of course we all know that April showers bring May flowers, so plants grow in May. When I defined may as a word it brings up so many ways that we can grow as people. New possibilities, opportunities, wishes and hopes, all achieved by prayer and permission. Permission in giving ourselves the chance to experience growth in one way or another. Oftentimes we are like the dying plant that we have not watered forever. We sit and grow stangnet from lack of giving ourselves enough water to grow. Or in other words the lack of energy or wanting to get up and go. Maybe we have hit a stopping place in life where we just are depressed or sad. Maybe we are feeling sorry for ourselves, or just not feeling up to doing anything. We could be just stuck in the mud sort of speaking. That is totally normal. When I hit this point, I pray and lean on my faith and Jesus and look for encouragement from those around me. We all can do that in times of need.

When this happens it is then that our faith matters. It matters that we turn to God and look for guidance. It matters that we read scripture and look in it for solutions. It matters that we believe strong enough to know there is help for us in that which we have not seen, but have experienced. It matters that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit live within us and strengthen us. 

I encourage you to take advantage of this month where everything outside is growing to take the time and work on growing in your faith. Let the love of our Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit work and grow in you. Let May be the month of growth for you, your faith and the vegetation outside. Glory be to God. Amen.