A few years ago I was walking through the Jerusalem forest on Tu B’shvat and I came across a young sapling that was so new it could barely stand on its own. It was supported by sticks and netting, to ensure that it would grow straight and tall.
At the time, I sat next to the tree and wondered about the intention that someone put into planting it.
Someone chose to plant this tree in that spot.
Nurtured it, guided it, and gave it the space to grow.
Nature is mostly wild. The seasons change, rains fall, the heat roils, the flowers bloom, the tides turn, all in a pattern set by our Creator.
But then there is our ability to shape the world- the power that HKBH gave us to co-create reality with him.
We also can plant, water, harvest, and begin it all again the next year.
Our intentions and actions, and yes, even our thoughts and prayers, literally shape our realities, potentials, and futures. Not only our own, but those around us.
That’s the thing about intentionality; it's the energy we put behind something- the choice to move forward. To change. To consider what kind of life we want to be living.
What kind of world do we want to take root and flower?
The marking of a new year (even for trees!) is always a marker in time that reflects the opportunity for change.
Of being new.
But I believe that we can be new every day.
Morning, noon, and night, we have the chance to make different choices.
To be intentional about how we are living.
How we are coping.
And what fruits we are going to be harvesting in the future.
So on this Tu B’svhat, here is to living with intentionality.
To new seasons of harmony on their way.
To harvesting a world that reflects our deepest hopes.
A world where we all can live in peace.
What do you hope to grow this year in your life?
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