Digging holes
Many summers ago, my son was playing with friends on a Wisconsin lake beach. Nearby, another child was digging a hole in the sand with the tiniest shovel. As you can imagine, progress was slow. Little by little, she kept at it until another child asked if she could help. Together they dug, slow and steady, until they caught the attention of my son and his friends, who quickly joined in.
Soon a half-dozen young kids were working together to dig what they proudly called the world’s biggest hole. They shared buckets, assigned roles, and scooped sand with such delight. Before long, the hole was big enough to hold all of them inside. Then came a sand city, complete with castles, canals, and little stick canoes.
They learned that day what can happen when people work together. A dream that feels impossible can become not only attainable but joyful, when it is shared.
This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the Triennial Gathering of the Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). I gathered with more than 1,100 women from across the country, all connected through the ELCA—the denomination of which St. Paul is a part, our branch on the Christian family tree.
Throughout the gathering, people from around the world told stories about our shared mission of loving the world for Jesus’ sake. We heard from Global Refuge (formerly Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service) about its sustaining care for immigrant neighbors. Organizations providing disaster relief and food assistance described their work. We met young women from countries torn apart by violence who have received scholarships to study in the United States. As I listened, I kept thinking, “Look what we are able to do when we work together for good.”
There is so much need in the world. As wars and disasters continue and poverty burdens families both far away and close to home, the problems can feel overwhelming. Like that little girl digging with the tiniest shovel, we may wonder whether our efforts can make any difference at all.
But together, we can do so much. This is the gift of belonging to a community of faith. The work is not mine alone, it’s ours. Here in the Quad Cities, this congregation serves our neighbors in many ways. That same faithful service is repeated in congregations across the country. And when we pool our resources and share our love as one Church, the world is changed for good.
It is already happening. So even if your shovel feels small, keep sharing, keep serving, and keep showing up. You do not dig alone. You have a whole community beside you. Together, we can make a holy difference in the lives of people near and far.
