“The desert and the parched land will exult; the steppe will rejoice and bloom. They will bloom with abundant flowers…they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God” – Isaiah 35: 1-2
When I retired from active ministry, I moved back home to Indiana. In the Midwest, one of the striking things is the abundance of land and nature; the farmland and fields are all around. When I first arrived back, it was at the beginning of spring. The fields were barren and black. The land was flat and parched awaiting the time for the farmers to plow the soil and plant the corn, wheat and soybeans. That spring and summer, I could not help but watch the sprouting of the plants and hear the worried farmers hoping for the needed rain. As the year continued to late August, the yield was spectacular with an abundance which could not be ignored.
When I think of the land of my birth, I cannot help but “see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God.” During this Advent season here in the Midwest, the land is again barren and black. But like our wait for the coming of the Lord this Christmas, I wait, yet again, for the abundance of the fields.
Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, for through Your goodness we have received the fruit of the earth and the work of human hands.
Amen.
Alice Hession
To view the full Advent 2022 booklet in English, click here.
For Spanish, click here.
For French, click here.