Message from Pastor Mori
Dear Ravenswood Fellowship UMC family,
Do you like your name?
I love my name "forest" – Mori. I love the forest. I love green leaves and branches and trees and wildflowers, and their smells. I love ladybugs and little creatures crowing all the time. However, I have zero experience in gardening. When I say that many people are very surprised. Since my first appointment was to an agricultural community, people wonder how I never got the chance to grow little tomatoes in my back yard.
Yes, I lived in an agricultural environment, but I saw the vast fields which had edges that were hard to see. Instead of water kettles, I saw farmers' airplanes flying across fields to spray. Also, I saw semi-trucks and gigantic tractors.
So, when I had my first time to help gardening folks and I grabbed a small gardening trowel, I didn't know what to do. But the RFUMC gardening team are very kind and nice people. With big smiles, they welcomed me and let me start my first gardening. So, I started my first gardening in my life. At that moment, I just took a look at everything and it all seemed like the same green-colored plants in the ground. However, one month later, I can now distinguish between what is a "plant" and what is a "weed!" (Thank you, Yuko!)
I even got my own gardening gloves!
When I started gardening, I didn't know why people love it. I think these few things show why people love gardening. First, for starters in gardening, we need to bend over or sit close to the ground and soil. This gesture is a very humble pose and for me, it shows an attitude of respect to the creatures of God. And, we work with our hands doing slow work. While gardening, we sit near plants and learn how they endure the sunlight, wind, and hot weather every moment. I realized that even the weeds are strong and resilient!
Usually, after gardening, our bodies are sweaty and tingle; however, the garden looks much better and the plants look happy, too. I learned about the beauty of human labor at the same time I learned how God loves nature.
If you are considering starting gardening and want to know how to do it, come and join the RFUMC gardening team. They are wonderful people who are willing to sit near you (but six feet away) and work together.
This Saturday(Aug,01) our gardening team invites you to join in a Japanese Garden Prayer. With the beautiful nature around us, we will pray together for the world, peace, and justice.
You all are welcome(Sign-Up Link). I hope you can see our beautiful garden.
Stay well!
Blessings
Gardening lady, Mori
PS) Pastor Mori's Q&A
Q) Do you like DC or Marvel?
A) Wonder Woman
| 
No comments:
Post a Comment