FlourishSample

Keep The Faith

"Keep the faith" were the final three words my grandfather spoke before he passed away from cancer over 10 years ago. My memories of him have faded over time, but his legacy, summed up in those three words, has remained deep in my heart. 

Did you know that some flowers bloom only once? And others are so established they bloom for 100 years? Plants can look to be flourishing – yet some stand the test of time and others don’t. Maybe we need to reshape our understanding of flourishing to include what grows under the soil as well as what grows above it? 

There’s a plant in Germany known as the "thousand year rosebush." It was destroyed in World War II but its roots had grown deep and it regrew in the rubble of the cathedral where it had been planted. Amazingly the rosebush still flourishes today. 

It was in that same war that my grandfather and his family fled across the mountains from Germany to escape Nazi persecution. The trials, disappointments, and challenges of life led to a faith whose roots grew deep –– a faith that flourished in the midst of trials, stood the test of time, and resulted in those final three words passed on to my family and me. 

Ephesians 3:17 is about flourishing in our faith and growing deep foundations so we too can pass on those words of life to the next generation with a confidence that comes from a deep-rooted, flourishing faith.

Written by LUCY WEIL

Want more? Check out the Real Hope Conversations Podcast and listen to Lucy Weil delve deeper into the topic of Flourishing. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.