Faith grows in the dark.

The flower blossoms
And reveals the centre.
Beauty and colour
Can captivate
And lead the eye to the outer.
Rein it back in.
Focus on the middle!
The petals always fall away
Before the fruit comes forth.
Will you be a petal?
Or will you wait
In the heart of the still small space.

Yes, yes.
It seems only nothing is coming
For ever such a time.
Looking with these eyes
Only confirms what is now seen
Let all your petals fall away.
(Not yourself)
They are the nothing
That look like something.
Fool’s gold, that's all.

But yes.
Potatoes grow in the dark
And seem to do nothing
For ever such a time.
Then suddenly...
A sprout!
Above the ground and into view.
The green leaves
Grow ever so tall.
But here too can we be fooled
Because the green leaves
Are not the treasure.

Potatoes grow in the dark
And one day the gardener
Out of the dark ground
Brings forth
Into the light
The fruit of his labour.
Is the treasure the fruit?
Here too can we be fooled!

Trust then in the hands of the Gardener
He is your true treasure.
Look first with the eyes of the heart
Let faith and hope and steadfastness
Be your companions.
Promises are fulfilled first in the dark
Before they ever sprout into the light.
Will you wait in the heart of the still small space?

Lord grant us the grace to wait, and wait well.
Amen.