Feminine Genius Ep2/Nurture

This is part of a 6 part series on the Feminine Genius, as highlighted in St John Paul II's Letter to Women.

This is part of a 6 part series on the Feminine Genius, as highlighted in St John Paul II's Letter to Women.

Everyone around me has taken an interest in plants - images of the plant "children" abound on my social media feed, arranged perfectly in minimalist Hygge-style on shelves in their houses. I have always had a few plants lying outside in the balcony, but never really took a shine to them - I did not have green fingers. Even the cactus plants I owned didn't survive. Yet, recently, I decided to have another go at caring for my green friends again - this time, with proper instructional videos, a slew of articles and the advice of trusted gardener friends.

I started with removing the dead leaves and weeds, loosening the soil in some pots, adding a few drops of liquid fertiliser and watering them regularly. The first few days, there was hardly a stir beneath the soil and I thought I had failed miserably yet again. Gradually, small shoots started to burst forth and a large avocado seed I had mindlessly plunged into the soil started to sprout a branch, and then a few leaves. I am happy to report that my family of plants is now flourishing and I have a soft spot for the avocado plant (who I thought wouldn't survive in our tropical climate - last time I checked, avocados don't grow in this region). You could call this transformation - a belated discovery of my ability to nurture.

In a broader sense, I "nurture" on a daily basis in my work as an educator and my charges are not unlike these plants. Some are uncooperative and prefer not to respond, others need a little helping hand in the form of extra attention and care. Some require the gentle hand, while others require a more vigorous shaking of their roots. As women, we have the inherent capacity to nurture people/things in our care and sometimes we awaken our inner "gardeners" at unlikely times in life. To nurture means to care for with love and attentiveness. I realised most of my plants languished due to my lack of concern for them. When I started to pay a little more attention to them and to be sensitive to their needs, they started to bloom. The same goes with the people around us, we nurture others and develop their faith by being their sisters in Christ - attentive to what they need in the present moment and knowing that no two people are the same. Let us pray that the Lord will imbue us with generous hearts to nurture the "children" He sends our way and to nurture their hearts to desire Him alone.

I conclude with a few questions to ponder:

1. How can I provide the right conditions necessary for my fellow brothers and sisters to bloom?

2. Who is the Lord calling me to nurture in this season?

3. How can I allow the Lord to nurture me too? What do I desire from the Lord in order to be able to bear abundant fruit?