Around the countryside ranchers have been getting their fields ready for sowing. I noticed a ranch with a remarkable rock pile on my way to Hamilton: a beautiful stone harvest. These stones are frost heaves, lifted from the sub-soil by freezing and thawing over the years. Every year, farmers and ranchers clear these rocks from the land before planting.
We are connected to the world around us! We all experience emotional winters in our lives, with their freezing and thawing effects. We understand the weight of despair, anger, regret, and remorse like heavy rocks near our hearts. Before starting a new life cycle, we must clear these emotional rocks.
Clearing these emotional rocks requires forgiveness. We must acknowledge our mistakes and the role we played. Forgiveness gives us space to grow and change. As Bishop Desmond Tutu said, there is no future without forgiveness.
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Clearing these emotional rocks is an ongoing task, but it is necessary for our fields and futures!
Zara Renander (Chaplain to Big Sky Palliative and Hospice Care) is an Episcopalian and can be reached at 406-543-4408 or jacqueline.renander@Bigskyhhh.com.
