I’ll bet a lot of you who are reading this are like me — a transplant to South Snohomish County from somewhere else in the country or in the world.
But whether you were born in the area, have been settled here for quite awhile, or are just stopping for a short time on your life’s journey, it’s always good to heed that old folk proverb and “Grow where you are planted.”
That metaphor has its “roots” in a passage from the Bible. The prophet Jeremiah sent a letter to the exiles in Babylon with a very similar message: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce … seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you … for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” It’s sound advice to anyone who finds themselves in a new place or even for those living in the same old place.
There is something very fulfilling about seeking the welfare of our neighbors. I’ve seen this proven again and again, as I’ve worked with committed citizens who give up their valuable time to improve their cities or neighborhoods. The folks who volunteer to help others or to make a place a little better always gain a great deal from their efforts. They connect more deeply with their communities, make new friends, and have something to talk about and take pride in at the end of the day. I think most volunteers would agree: they get far more out of these community building experiences than they put in.
I serve on the Review Panel for Lynnwood’s new Community Grants program, which is giving matching grants to groups mounting projects that enhance their neighborhoods. It’s been tremendously exciting to read the proposals and discover a diversity of folks who really care about their neighborhood. Some proposals are from groups of retirees, some from teenagers; some from experienced grant-writers, some from people who’ve never done such a thing in their lives. But all have the same goal: to make their corner of Lynnwood just a little better for all those who pass that way, to make their neighbors’ lives just a little brighter.
My congratulations go to all of these caring individuals. I hope that their example will motivate many, many more of us to “grow where we’re planted” and help enrich the lives in our own corners of this beautiful land.
Rev. M. Christopher Boyer is pastor of Good Shepherd Baptist Church in Lynnwood.
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