Holding Fast

"But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance." Luke 8:15

Today I am going to speak for the ECW - Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of New Jersey. These are the folks who do all the work in the Church, the women behind the scenes, the ones who labor faithfully to serve others. I have always found that the people of greatest faith are not often the ones celebrated for their charisma but are those who work without a spotlight on their labors. They do it for love and they go the distance.

Today, I want to be counted among those who hold fast, even when the challenges and transitions seem overwhelming. I want to learn from the ones who have held fast and endured. I want to learn from others who know how to trust God in the darkest hours while they continue to love and care for others. And I want to give thanks for Church women everywhere who stand in the background or on the side. They are good soil, they bear fruit with patient endurance and they do it for love. May we all learn from the example of those around us who a re good soil, holding fast so that love might flourish.