Sprout

Merriam-Webster defines sprout as, "to grow, spring up, or come forth ."  The image of a plant growing comes to mind, the first shoot coming out of the soil. However sprout also leads to other images, a small child, food for a sandwich, a cable channel or a brand of baby food. 

 Many of us are now eating sprouts as food as not are they healthy but they also add crunch to our foods.  I like to think as crunch as something different.  Have you ever noticed how when chips to your chili or nuts to your dessert that it adds to the taste and gives a different perspective to the dish?  Sometimes our soul need a bit of crunch. 

As I mentioned in an earlier post, Advent is a time of birthing.  In this time of birthing the soul like the body needs a variety of nourishment.  Sometimes it is the most unlikely things,  for one person it might be running or for another it could be working at the food pantry or maybe its engaging in extended silence.  It is easy to do the same things over and over again.  What might add crunch to your spiritual life?  Is there a practice you have let of that you need to refresh?  Or maybe you need to step out of your comfort zone and try something new?  

For me this Advent, it is returning to writing.  Until I started writing these daily Advent reflections, I had not written any blog posts in over a year and I had not realized how much my soul was nourished by them.  Writing these reflections provides me with insight into how my soul is and also allows me a way of giving to others.