cover me with shit and watch me grow!

when you plant flowers, you have to cover them in shit in order for them to grow.

my brother and I came to see this through a tough spot in our family story.

i'd rather not, here, get into a philosophical discussion of "did God put this week's manure on the flowers or does he simply use the manure evil heaped on us to grow us? if God is all powerful, isn't God responsible for all manure?" that question will be discussed in exhausting circles for ages to come.

today, i just want to say that this has definately been the week from hell. it literally began when evil came from hell to that blue house on capitol hill and continued as tough ciricumstances arose in my life and in the lives of everyone around me.

today, one week after i heard about the shooting, i am amazed at who i have been and become this week. specifically, as i have seen and felt narcissism in ugly places, as i have been cared for others only to recieve surpassing care and felt, therefore, more able to give even more and more extravagent care, i have become exceedingly excited for my house church - to be a missional place truning narcissism into mutuality and raggedness into a ravenous appetite to seek the kingdom of God.

this has been a shitty way to grow - but, like i said, you have to cover flowers with shit in order for them to grow.
when they do grow, they forge through the manure to turn their faces in exquisite praise of God!
may we all do the same.