Noteworthy Olive Tree
Amber Waves
Photo by Ryan Grewell on Unsplash
The valleys blanketed with grain; they cheer and sing for joy. — Psalm 65:13 NAB
The farmlands of Maryland’s Eastern Shore abound with earth's bounty. Wheat ripples in the breeze as far as the eye can see — breathtaking “amber waves of grain.”
These plants grow in response to hard work from those who cultivate the soil as the sun and rain faithfully come forth from heaven. Amidst thousands of acres, just one farmhouse is visible, with massive tractors, irrigators, and silos nearby showing the methods being used to plant, grow, and reap the bountiful harvest.
For readers who farm, we say, “Thank you.” We benefit from the food you produce.
We also stand on the shoulders of those who created America, with their pioneering spirit, blood, sweat, and tears.
This weekend, as we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, we give a wave of gratitude both to our brave predecessors and current laborers. Let us respond by placing our hands upon the plow before us — the work God has assigned us in the landscape of our own lives — whether it be providing for loved ones or meeting the needs of those around us in physical, emotional, or spiritual ways.
PRAYERS
Heavenly Father, thank you for America, this beautiful country upon which Your grace has been shed. Forgive us our sins and restore us.
Dear Lord, please make clear the work which You have prepared for me to do and through which I can be faithful and glorify you.
QUOTE
America! America! God mend thine every flaw,
confirm thy soul in self-control,
thy liberty in law.
— Katherine Lee Bates, hymnwriter (1893)
To delve deeper into this devotion with a related thought, question for journaling, and a guided, PRISM™ Visio Divina exercise with music, visit Lisa Livezey's Substack.
To receive a free weekly photo devotion to your inbox, visit devotions.life.
About the Author
Lisa Livezey writes from Pennsylvania where she found her way to Rome via the Anglican Ordinariate. She is the author of Minding Mom: A Caregiver's Devotional Story (En Route Publishing) and contributes to the National Catholic Register, Guideposts books and devotionals, and more. Her weekly photo devotions found at lisalivezey.com/olivetree are viewed worldwide and utilized by Visio Divina prayer groups. Lisa is a wife, mom, and grandma, volunteers in church and civic settings, and serves on the executive team at Heart of the Father Ministries. She credits her husband with giving her name alliteration and sometimes on summer weekends can be spotted sailing the Chesapeake Bay alongside her spouse.
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