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In episode two, Hidden Roots, Grandma Eden takes Mira to her garden, where a seed, a story about two desert wells, and a reminder that she is planted, not buried, begin to shift how she sees her life. But just as Mira starts to trust the waiting, a stranger appears, and a phone call delivers a chilling truth: her mother remembers something she was never supposed to forget. As the past stirs beneath the surface, Mira must decide whether she’s ready to dig deeper—because this time, the truth is coming for her.
This podcast is for inspiration and reflection only. If you are struggling, please reach out to a trusted counselor or mental health professional. You are worth care and support.
✨ New here? Start with Episode 1—each chapter of Promise Hill builds on the last.
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*Disclaimer: All the characters in Promise Hill are AI. The storyline is mine, but the videos, photos, and voices are AI (except mine, I'm real :-) ). I understand some people are uncomfortable with AI, and I respect that.
For those who do not mind AI, I use AI as voice and performing actors to illustrate a story. The storyline is mine, and I developed the characters as I saw them in my head. As a Christian, I have complete peace using AI in this way.
Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.
WEBVTT
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Welcome back to Promise Hill,
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our small little town with murmurs of stories we can all relate to in some way.
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Hello,
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I'm your host,
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Kimberlee Herman.
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Welcome to Season 1,
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Chapter 2,
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Hidden Roots.
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In our last episode,
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Mira met Hope Meadowlark,
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who in turn pointed her towards Grandma Eden,
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who then gave Mira some great advice and then,
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on her way home,
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Mira had
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back into Promise Hill,
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let's walk with Mira as she wrestles with questions that feel familiar to all of us.
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I'll see you on the other side of the story with some reflections,
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action steps,
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and prayer.
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Let's listen in.
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The morning was golden and still,
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except for the birds singing to welcome
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with the weight of yesterday's conversation with Grandma Eden and the memory of the women,
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the book,
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and the wind chimes.
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Just then,
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a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
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Mira opened the door,
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pleasantly surprised to see Grandma Eden standing there,
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her eyes warm with quiet wisdom.
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Good morning,
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Grandma Eden.
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What a nice surprise.
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Would you like some tea or coffee?
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Oh no,
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thank you dear.
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I want to show you something.
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Will you come with me?
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Of course,
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let's go.
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Mira was grateful for Eden's presence,
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even if she wasn't sure where they were going.
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We are heading back to my place.
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I won't keep you long.
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The walk to Grandma Eden's home was peaceful.
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The early morning quiet broken only by birdsong and the distant hum of life stirring in Promise Hill.
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Eden said little,
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but her presence carried a quiet strength.
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Ah,
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here we are.
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Follow me through my back gate to my garden,
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dear.
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Eden's garden was a lush landscape overflowing with flowers,
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each plant thriving under Eden's careful tending.
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The scent of jasmine drifted on the breeze.
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I brought you here to remind you of something.
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Mira raised an eyebrow.
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That I'm a project in need of fixing?
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No,
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dear.
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That you're like a seed in the ground,
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like we discussed yesterday.
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I want to walk you through that a little deeper.
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Ha
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Right.
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Buried, forgotten,
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slowly rotting in the dark.
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You are inspirational.
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I'll take that as a compliment.
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Remember this.
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A seed is not buried.
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It's planted.
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And it doesn't rot.
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It breaks open before it grows.
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Mira folded her arms.
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I understand.
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But what if I'm tired of breaking?
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Then rest.
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But don't mistake this season for the end of your story.
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Eden knelt,
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pressing her fingers into the damp earth.
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I could see you were pretty worried yesterday,
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Mira.
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A seed cannot understand what it will become.
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It only knows the darkness of the soil,
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the weight pressing down on it.
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It waits,
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not knowing when the rain will come or when the sun will warm the ground enough for it to break through.
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Mira swallowed,
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the sting of tears pooling in her eyes.
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That weight,
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the heaviness of uncertainty,
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the ache of waiting,
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felt so familiar.
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Oh yes,
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I definitely feel crushed.
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Eden looked at her with kind but steady eyes.
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She scooped up a handful of earth,
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letting the rich soil slip through her fingers.
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While it may feel crushing and I know that feeling all too well,
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know this.
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You are not forgotten,
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dear.
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You are being prepared,
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strengthened.
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Mira furrowed her brow.
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Prepared for what?
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For what you were created to be in the next season.
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A seed doesn't fully understand what it will become.
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It only knows to keep growing.
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A mighty oak doesn't realize its branches will one day give shade.
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A wildflower doesn't know it will bring beauty to a weary traveller,
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but the Creator knows.
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Eden reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wooden box.
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Here,
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Mira,
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I want you to have this.
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Opened the box and saw a small seed.
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Thank you,
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but what's this supposed to do?
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Grow me into someone patient and graceful overnight?
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Wouldn't that be lovely for all of us?
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No,
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dear.
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It's a reminder that the most important parts of you are forming where no one can see.
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Mira stared at the tiny seed.
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Part of her wanted to believe it.
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Another part felt too bruised to care.
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Mira closed the box,
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her fingers brushing over the smooth wood.
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What kind of seed is it?
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Eden's eyes twinkled.
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That,
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my dear,
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is for you to discover.
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She gestured to the garden around them.
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You can't see it yet,
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Mira,
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but the waiting is not wasted if you do something with it.
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Every moment in the soil,
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every struggle,
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every storm is shaping you,
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strengthening you.
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So when the time comes,
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when you break through,
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you will not just grow,
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you will flourish.
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Mira exhaled,
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the weight of those words settling over her.
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Maybe she didn't need all the answers right now.
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Maybe she just needed to trust the process.
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Let me tell you a story.
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Eden said,
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settling onto a beautifully carved garden bench with a red flower pot filled with soil.
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Mira sat beside her,
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intrigued.
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There's an ancient story from a faraway desert land where water meant everything.
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Where water was life and every choice carried weight.
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Mira lifted her eyes as she gazed ahead to listen.
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Two wells were begun there,
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too far apart to share.
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They were dug by people who were weary,
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parched,
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and longing for relief.
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The first well was shallow.
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It bubbled up quickly,
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gave just enough to quiet the thirst,
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for a time.
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But the desert has a way of testing what's shallow.
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Each day,
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the people returned,
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cursing more about the heat and the water growing thin.
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They did not try to change anything,
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and hope was leaving them.
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Something stirred in Mira's heart.
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The second well was slower.
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Its builders dug in silence,
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past the place of certainty.
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For a long while there was nothing to show for it.
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But when the water came,
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it came from somewhere deep and ancient,
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clear,
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cool.
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moving.
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It did not rush.
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It did not disappear.
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Eden's eyes held Mira's.
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The desert didn't change,
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and this well remembered where the water was,
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while the first well dried up shortly after discovery.
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So the land didn't betray them?
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No,
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it revealed them.
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Mira leaned forward as if her heart
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When life strips us bare,
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we can drink from what's close and familiar.
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And that may work for a while.
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Or we can dig deeper to get a new drink to help heal and grow us.
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Do you understand,
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Mira?
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I think so.
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One choice feeds the moment.
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The other changes the soul.
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Mira exhaled,
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a quiet knowing settling in her bones.
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So what you're saying is I need to work a little differently to get through these hard times?
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Like the men working on the second well.
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Exactly,
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dear.
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You are walking in very hard times.
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Coping skills are good,
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but you are going to need healing now.
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And that takes different tools,
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so you can dig deeper.
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Just then,
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the sound of footsteps on the garden path made them both turn.
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A man stood at the gate,
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smiling and waving.
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Eden
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Eden's face lit up.
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Oh,
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Nathaniel,
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hello
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Come in,
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come in.
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Mira turned to see a man with light brown,
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unruly hair,
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his eyes carrying a quiet depth she couldn't quite place.
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He wore a leather apron dusted with sawdust over a white T-shirt,
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the scent of freshly cut wood clinging to him.
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He looked like someone who built things with care,
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someone who understood the weight of patience.
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Mira,
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this is my dear friend Nathaniel Ember.
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He's a carpenter,
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the finest craftsman around.
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You can see the intricate work he did on this bench.
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Eden gestured to the wooden bench they were sitting on.
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I'm not so sure about that,
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but I will take the compliment.
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Nathaniel's gaze flickered over Mira as he extended his hand.
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As they shook hands,
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a curious calm settled in Mira's chest.
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There was something about him,
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something familiar,
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though she was certain they had never met.
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And Nathaniel?
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This is Mira.
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She moved to Promise Hill about four weeks ago.
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Nice to meet you,
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Mira.
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You're in great company when you're with Grandma Eden.
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Oh dear,
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you are sweet,
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Nathaniel.
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Your bench is amazing.
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I can see why Grandma Eden thinks highly of your work.
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Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone.
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Excuse me,
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I'm sorry,
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but I need to take this call.
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Mira walked away for privacy.
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Hello?
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Hi,
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Mira.
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It's Rose from Whispering Pines Home.
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You need to come soon.
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Your mother is asking for you.
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Mira swallowed hard,
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gripping the seed box tighter in her palm.
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00:11:13.949 --> 00:11:14.229
Really?
272
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I don't understand.
273
00:11:16.710 --> 00:11:19.231
She hasn't really recognized me for the last few months.
274
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She said something else,
275
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Mira.
276
00:11:23.492 --> 00:11:24.292
What did she say?
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00:11:25.612 --> 00:11:26.112
She said,
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She remembers.
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00:11:29.733 --> 00:11:31.014
The line went silent.
280
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Mira's pulse thundered in her ears.
281
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What does she remember?
282
00:11:38.236 --> 00:11:38.636
And yet,
283
00:11:39.136 --> 00:11:39.716
deep down,
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she knew.
285
00:11:41.237 --> 00:11:42.197
Whatever was happening...
286
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This was just the beginning.
287
00:11:44.987 --> 00:11:47.810
Life has a way of leading us exactly where we need to be,
288
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even when we don't understand the path.
289
00:11:51.073 --> 00:11:51.534
For Mira,
290
00:11:51.914 --> 00:11:55.677
what felt like an ending may just be the beginning of something deeper,
291
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something unseen,
292
00:11:57.819 --> 00:11:59.021
waiting beneath the surface,
293
00:11:59.441 --> 00:12:00.502
ready to be dug out.
294
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As one door opens,
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another mystery stirs.
296
00:12:05.166 --> 00:12:06.227
The past is calling,
297
00:12:06.588 --> 00:12:07.869
the future is uncertain.
298
00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:12.932
And Mira is about to discover that sometimes the truth doesn't wait to be found.
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It finds you.
300
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See you in the next chapter,
301
00:12:16.814 --> 00:12:17.334
dear listener.
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00:12:18.595 --> 00:12:19.155
Take it away,
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Kimberlee.
304
00:12:20.416 --> 00:12:22.617
Now let's walk that story home.
305
00:12:23.358 --> 00:12:26.559
Mira left Eden's garden with more questions than answers.
306
00:12:27.060 --> 00:12:29.621
The tiny seed resting in the box was a mystery,
307
00:12:30.081 --> 00:12:32.102
much like the changes stirring within her.
308
00:12:32.763 --> 00:12:33.883
Was she really planted,
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00:12:34.023 --> 00:12:34.984
as Eden had said,
310
00:12:35.064 --> 00:12:36.585
or simply lost in the dark?
311
00:12:37.297 --> 00:12:39.598
but there was no time to dwell on those thoughts.
312
00:12:40.118 --> 00:12:42.279
Life had a way of interrupting the stillness,
313
00:12:42.459 --> 00:12:45.321
and today it arrived in the form of a phone call.
314
00:12:46.221 --> 00:12:50.643
Let's dig deeper into three reflections and three live-it-out action steps.
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1.
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Hardship doesn't create character; it reveals it.
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00:12:56.285 --> 00:13:02.688
When pressure enters Mira's life,
318
00:13:04.609 --> 00:13:05.009
fear,
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00:13:05.249 --> 00:13:05.990
fatigue,
320
00:13:05.991 --> 00:13:06.990
a little sarcasm.
321
00:13:07.911 --> 00:13:09.792
Hard seasons don't make us weak.
322
00:13:10.052 --> 00:13:13.855
They show us where we've been relying on shallow wells.
323
00:13:14.495 --> 00:13:16.776
That revelation isn't condemnation,
324
00:13:17.076 --> 00:13:18.337
it's information.
325
00:13:18.917 --> 00:13:22.700
And information gives us something we can actually work with.
326
00:13:23.740 --> 00:13:24.581
Hear it and hold it.
327
00:13:24.921 --> 00:13:26.822
Proverbs 27 19.
328
00:13:27.382 --> 00:13:29.003
As water reflects the face,
329
00:13:29.464 --> 00:13:31.405
so one's life reflects the heart.
330
00:13:33.125 --> 00:13:34.585
When life gets still and hard,
331
00:13:34.685 --> 00:13:36.446
the reflection becomes clearer.
332
00:13:36.926 --> 00:13:41.047
What surfaces is an invitation to honest self-examination,
333
00:13:41.387 --> 00:13:42.688
not self-judgment.
334
00:13:43.268 --> 00:13:45.789
Reflection number two.
335
00:13:45.790 --> 00:13:50.030
Growth happens where we stop resisting in this season.
336
00:13:50.850 --> 00:13:53.131
Mira isn't struggling because she's failing.
337
00:13:53.251 --> 00:13:57.172
She's struggling because she's fighting this chapter she's in.
338
00:13:57.872 --> 00:13:59.932
Eden doesn't ask her to understand
339
00:14:02.633 --> 00:14:06.296
Some seasons or hardships aren't about effort or clarity.
340
00:14:06.697 --> 00:14:10.760
They're about allowing yourself to be where you are without self-judgment.
341
00:14:11.421 --> 00:14:13.742
Growth doesn't always begin with action.
342
00:14:14.063 --> 00:14:16.665
Sometimes it begins with permission,
343
00:14:16.905 --> 00:14:18.126
permission to yourself,
344
00:14:18.647 --> 00:14:21.269
to just acknowledge that you're going through a hard time.
345
00:14:22.730 --> 00:14:23.531
Hear it and hold it.
346
00:14:23.691 --> 00:14:25.893
Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1.
347
00:14:26.393 --> 00:14:30.937
There's a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
348
00:14:31.953 --> 00:14:33.915
This verse normalizes waiting.
349
00:14:34.035 --> 00:14:37.958
It reminds us that timing is sacred and not accidental.
350
00:14:38.839 --> 00:14:40.060
Reflection number three,
351
00:14:40.541 --> 00:14:44.124
the desert tests the depths and reveals where we've been drinking.
352
00:14:45.265 --> 00:14:47.407
Eden's well story cuts straight to the heart.
353
00:14:47.947 --> 00:14:50.690
Shallow sources work for a while until they don't.
354
00:14:51.290 --> 00:14:58.357
Hardship exposes whether we've been drawing from what's quick and familiar or whether we've done the slower work of digging deep.
355
00:14:58.961 --> 00:15:00.082
When things fall apart,
356
00:15:00.142 --> 00:15:02.824
it becomes clear what truly sustains us.
357
00:15:03.524 --> 00:15:05.526
One choice soothes the moment,
358
00:15:05.946 --> 00:15:07.407
the other reshapes the soul.
359
00:15:08.588 --> 00:15:09.409
Hear it and hold it,
360
00:15:09.509 --> 00:15:12.171
Jeremiah 17 verses 7 and 8.
361
00:15:12.751 --> 00:15:14.913
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
362
00:15:15.333 --> 00:15:19.836
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
363
00:15:20.237 --> 00:15:22.098
It does not fear when heat comes.
364
00:15:22.979 --> 00:15:24.300
The heat still comes,
365
00:15:24.400 --> 00:15:25.881
the difference is the roots.
366
00:15:26.941 --> 00:15:28.902
Hardships still come and go,
367
00:15:29.903 --> 00:15:32.284
but fear doesn't have to have the final word.
368
00:15:33.224 --> 00:15:34.965
Live it out action steps.
369
00:15:35.245 --> 00:15:35.746
Number one,
370
00:15:36.046 --> 00:15:38.067
name what the pressure is revealing.
371
00:15:38.827 --> 00:15:44.310
Set aside five to ten quiet minutes and ask yourself this question without fixing anything yet.
372
00:15:45.171 --> 00:15:47.152
When hard seasons press on me,
373
00:15:47.832 --> 00:15:49.813
what keeps rising to the surface?
374
00:15:50.794 --> 00:15:51.774
Notice patterns,
375
00:15:51.854 --> 00:15:52.715
not just feelings.
376
00:15:53.295 --> 00:15:53.876
Irritability,
377
00:15:54.176 --> 00:15:54.576
numbing,
378
00:15:54.636 --> 00:15:55.116
control,
379
00:15:55.196 --> 00:15:55.676
withdrawal,
380
00:15:55.777 --> 00:15:56.457
people pleasing.
381
00:15:57.125 --> 00:15:59.969
Or maybe courage comes out that you didn't know was there.
382
00:16:00.870 --> 00:16:02.453
Hardship doesn't lie.
383
00:16:02.553 --> 00:16:06.238
It shows us what's been living just underneath the surface.
384
00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:08.221
Grow what you won't name.
385
00:16:08.361 --> 00:16:10.725
Awareness is the doorway to change.
386
00:16:11.406 --> 00:16:11.886
Number two,
387
00:16:12.407 --> 00:16:13.829
identify your shallow well.
388
00:16:13.909 --> 00:16:14.029
Well,
389
00:16:14.630 --> 00:16:15.990
like Eden's desert story,
390
00:16:16.171 --> 00:16:19.253
take an honest look at where you've been drinking from lately.
391
00:16:19.853 --> 00:16:20.574
Ask yourself,
392
00:16:21.674 --> 00:16:24.677
what do I reach for when I feel overwhelmed?
393
00:16:25.457 --> 00:16:28.920
Does it actually restore me or just quiet me for a moment?
394
00:16:30.140 --> 00:16:36.125
Write down one shallow well you've been relying on and one deeper source you want to begin digging towards,
395
00:16:36.905 --> 00:16:37.966
such as prayer,
396
00:16:38.286 --> 00:16:39.007
stillness,
397
00:16:39.367 --> 00:16:40.067
truth-telling,
398
00:16:40.247 --> 00:16:41.048
asking for help,
399
00:16:41.108 --> 00:16:42.249
or reading more scripture.
400
00:16:42.961 --> 00:16:43.581
Just remember,
401
00:16:43.761 --> 00:16:45.642
quick relief feeds the moments,
402
00:16:46.182 --> 00:16:48.503
but deep nourishment reshapes the soul.
403
00:16:50.283 --> 00:16:51.043
Number three,
404
00:16:51.044 --> 00:16:53.044
practice trust in the waiting.
405
00:16:53.844 --> 00:16:55.665
Mira doesn't get clarity right away.
406
00:16:56.325 --> 00:16:58.025
She gets a seed and a reminder.
407
00:16:58.646 --> 00:16:59.086
This week,
408
00:16:59.226 --> 00:17:01.066
choose one small act that says,
409
00:17:01.266 --> 00:17:03.247
I'm planted and not buried.
410
00:17:04.827 --> 00:17:08.248
This might look like holding an object as a physical reminder.
411
00:17:09.729 --> 00:17:10.449
Heavenly Father,
412
00:17:10.669 --> 00:17:13.230
I come before you for the one listening right now,
413
00:17:13.411 --> 00:17:14.271
feeling lost,
414
00:17:14.651 --> 00:17:16.853
waiting for clarity and searching for hope.
415
00:17:17.193 --> 00:17:17.913
You see them,
416
00:17:18.013 --> 00:17:20.455
you know their quiet prayers and weary heart.
417
00:17:21.175 --> 00:17:21.515
Father,
418
00:17:21.795 --> 00:17:32.241
your word says the one who trusts in the Lord is blessed and they will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
419
00:17:33.002 --> 00:17:34.863
It does not fear when heat comes.
420
00:17:35.363 --> 00:17:37.304
Its leaves are always green.
421
00:17:37.464 --> 00:17:38.565
It has no worry.
422
00:17:39.097 --> 00:17:42.079
in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
423
00:17:42.879 --> 00:17:46.601
Remind us to trust you so our roots run deep in you,
424
00:17:47.042 --> 00:17:48.683
so your fruit can grow within us.
425
00:17:49.203 --> 00:17:54.346
Thank you for loving us and showing us you are our help and that you will never leave us.
426
00:17:54.806 --> 00:17:56.227
In Jesus's holy name,
427
00:17:56.747 --> 00:17:57.147
amen.
428
00:17:58.028 --> 00:17:59.269
Until next time friend,
429
00:17:59.669 --> 00:18:02.691
may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop.
430
00:18:03.151 --> 00:18:06.773
This is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.
431
00:19:34.483 --> 00:19:38.805
must be.
1
00:00:15.781 --> 00:00:17.302
Welcome back to Promise Hill,
2
00:00:17.702 --> 00:00:22.185
our small little town with murmurs of stories we can all relate to in some way.
3
00:00:22.826 --> 00:00:23.006
Hello,
4
00:00:23.446 --> 00:00:24.147
I'm your host,
5
00:00:24.307 --> 00:00:25.047
Kimberlee Herman.
6
00:00:25.508 --> 00:00:26.548
Welcome to Season 1,
7
00:00:26.709 --> 00:00:27.309
Chapter 2,
8
00:00:27.569 --> 00:00:28.210
Hidden Roots.
9
00:00:28.790 --> 00:00:29.831
In our last episode,
10
00:00:29.911 --> 00:00:31.272
Mira met Hope Meadowlark,
11
00:00:31.652 --> 00:00:33.953
who in turn pointed her towards Grandma Eden,
12
00:00:34.414 --> 00:00:37.035
who then gave Mira some great advice and then,
13
00:00:37.456 --> 00:00:38.236
on her way home,
14
00:00:38.637 --> 00:00:41.218
Mira had
15
00:00:43.740 --> 00:00:44.841
back into Promise Hill,
16
00:00:45.321 --> 00:00:50.044
let's walk with Mira as she wrestles with questions that feel familiar to all of us.
17
00:00:51.005 --> 00:00:54.467
I'll see you on the other side of the story with some reflections,
18
00:00:54.627 --> 00:00:55.368
action steps,
19
00:00:55.548 --> 00:00:56.088
and prayer.
20
00:00:56.648 --> 00:00:57.969
Let's listen in.
21
00:01:01.491 --> 00:01:03.333
The morning was golden and still,
22
00:01:03.953 --> 00:01:05.714
except for the birds singing to welcome
23
00:01:08.536 --> 00:01:13.019
with the weight of yesterday's conversation with Grandma Eden and the memory of the women,
24
00:01:13.599 --> 00:01:13.979
the book,
25
00:01:14.680 --> 00:01:15.560
and the wind chimes.
26
00:01:16.821 --> 00:01:17.282
Just then,
27
00:01:17.522 --> 00:01:19.703
a knock at the door interrupted her thoughts.
28
00:01:21.024 --> 00:01:21.944
Mira opened the door,
29
00:01:22.245 --> 00:01:25.006
pleasantly surprised to see Grandma Eden standing there,
30
00:01:25.407 --> 00:01:27.428
her eyes warm with quiet wisdom.
31
00:01:28.809 --> 00:01:29.369
Good morning,
32
00:01:29.429 --> 00:01:30.150
Grandma Eden.
33
00:01:30.610 --> 00:01:31.791
What a nice surprise.
34
00:01:32.411 --> 00:01:33.812
Would you like some tea or coffee?
35
00:01:35.284 --> 00:01:35.784
Oh no,
36
00:01:36.045 --> 00:01:36.745
thank you dear.
37
00:01:37.285 --> 00:01:38.566
I want to show you something.
38
00:01:39.086 --> 00:01:39.887
Will you come with me?
39
00:01:41.228 --> 00:01:41.828
Of course,
40
00:01:41.948 --> 00:01:42.308
let's go.
41
00:01:43.849 --> 00:01:45.790
Mira was grateful for Eden's presence,
42
00:01:46.251 --> 00:01:48.072
even if she wasn't sure where they were going.
43
00:01:49.232 --> 00:01:50.713
We are heading back to my place.
44
00:01:50.953 --> 00:01:51.894
I won't keep you long.
45
00:01:53.075 --> 00:01:55.216
The walk to Grandma Eden's home was peaceful.
46
00:01:55.696 --> 00:02:01.460
The early morning quiet broken only by birdsong and the distant hum of life stirring in Promise Hill.
47
00:02:02.404 --> 00:02:03.245
Eden said little,
48
00:02:03.745 --> 00:02:05.866
but her presence carried a quiet strength.
49
00:02:07.287 --> 00:02:07.527
Ah,
50
00:02:07.927 --> 00:02:08.628
here we are.
51
00:02:09.388 --> 00:02:11.829
Follow me through my back gate to my garden,
52
00:02:11.929 --> 00:02:12.169
dear.
53
00:02:14.491 --> 00:02:18.093
Eden's garden was a lush landscape overflowing with flowers,
54
00:02:18.613 --> 00:02:21.274
each plant thriving under Eden's careful tending.
55
00:02:22.015 --> 00:02:24.236
The scent of jasmine drifted on the breeze.
56
00:02:25.617 --> 00:02:28.138
I brought you here to remind you of something.
57
00:02:29.499 --> 00:02:30.679
Mira raised an eyebrow.
58
00:02:32.004 --> 00:02:34.185
That I'm a project in need of fixing?
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00:02:35.466 --> 00:02:35.626
No,
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00:02:35.886 --> 00:02:36.166
dear.
61
00:02:36.966 --> 00:02:39.027
That you're like a seed in the ground,
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00:02:39.247 --> 00:02:40.628
like we discussed yesterday.
63
00:02:41.708 --> 00:02:44.149
I want to walk you through that a little deeper.
64
00:02:45.430 --> 00:02:45.550
Ha
65
00:02:46.250 --> 00:02:46.550
Right.
66
00:02:47.230 --> 00:02:48.591
Buried, forgotten,
67
00:02:49.151 --> 00:02:50.632
slowly rotting in the dark.
68
00:02:52.072 --> 00:02:53.653
You are inspirational.
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00:02:55.154 --> 00:02:56.614
I'll take that as a compliment.
70
00:02:57.255 --> 00:02:57.995
Remember this.
71
00:02:58.695 --> 00:03:00.356
A seed is not buried.
72
00:03:01.044 --> 00:03:02.004
It's planted.
73
00:03:02.645 --> 00:03:03.665
And it doesn't rot.
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00:03:04.085 --> 00:03:06.646
It breaks open before it grows.
75
00:03:07.987 --> 00:03:09.328
Mira folded her arms.
76
00:03:10.988 --> 00:03:11.809
I understand.
77
00:03:12.529 --> 00:03:14.270
But what if I'm tired of breaking?
78
00:03:15.530 --> 00:03:16.190
Then rest.
79
00:03:17.311 --> 00:03:20.492
But don't mistake this season for the end of your story.
80
00:03:21.813 --> 00:03:22.413
Eden knelt,
81
00:03:22.733 --> 00:03:24.754
pressing her fingers into the damp earth.
82
00:03:26.095 --> 00:03:28.316
I could see you were pretty worried yesterday,
83
00:03:28.396 --> 00:03:28.676
Mira.
84
00:03:29.496 --> 00:03:32.277
A seed cannot understand what it will become.
85
00:03:33.238 --> 00:03:35.479
It only knows the darkness of the soil,
86
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:37.380
the weight pressing down on it.
87
00:03:38.160 --> 00:03:38.720
It waits,
88
00:03:39.241 --> 00:03:45.124
not knowing when the rain will come or when the sun will warm the ground enough for it to break through.
89
00:03:46.440 --> 00:03:47.201
Mira swallowed,
90
00:03:47.741 --> 00:03:49.863
the sting of tears pooling in her eyes.
91
00:03:50.563 --> 00:03:51.164
That weight,
92
00:03:51.644 --> 00:03:53.146
the heaviness of uncertainty,
93
00:03:53.526 --> 00:03:54.687
the ache of waiting,
94
00:03:55.227 --> 00:03:56.228
felt so familiar.
95
00:03:57.489 --> 00:03:58.050
Oh yes,
96
00:03:58.450 --> 00:04:00.071
I definitely feel crushed.
97
00:04:01.312 --> 00:04:04.014
Eden looked at her with kind but steady eyes.
98
00:04:05.195 --> 00:04:06.737
She scooped up a handful of earth,
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00:04:07.157 --> 00:04:09.479
letting the rich soil slip through her fingers.
100
00:04:10.740 --> 00:04:14.463
While it may feel crushing and I know that feeling all too well,
101
00:04:14.943 --> 00:04:15.484
know this.
102
00:04:16.276 --> 00:04:17.517
You are not forgotten,
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00:04:17.577 --> 00:04:17.797
dear.
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00:04:18.478 --> 00:04:19.659
You are being prepared,
105
00:04:20.340 --> 00:04:21.040
strengthened.
106
00:04:22.382 --> 00:04:23.603
Mira furrowed her brow.
107
00:04:25.004 --> 00:04:26.065
Prepared for what?
108
00:04:27.266 --> 00:04:30.449
For what you were created to be in the next season.
109
00:04:31.510 --> 00:04:34.633
A seed doesn't fully understand what it will become.
110
00:04:35.013 --> 00:04:36.835
It only knows to keep growing.
111
00:04:38.036 --> 00:04:42.400
A mighty oak doesn't realize its branches will one day give shade.
112
00:04:43.256 --> 00:04:47.262
A wildflower doesn't know it will bring beauty to a weary traveller,
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00:04:48.263 --> 00:04:49.906
but the Creator knows.
114
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Eden reached into her pocket and pulled out a small wooden box.
115
00:04:56.094 --> 00:04:56.295
Here,
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00:04:56.335 --> 00:04:56.635
Mira,
117
00:04:57.316 --> 00:04:58.398
I want you to have this.
118
00:05:00.048 --> 00:05:02.149
Opened the box and saw a small seed.
119
00:05:03.450 --> 00:05:03.870
Thank you,
120
00:05:04.351 --> 00:05:06.112
but what's this supposed to do?
121
00:05:07.172 --> 00:05:09.994
Grow me into someone patient and graceful overnight?
122
00:05:11.235 --> 00:05:13.496
Wouldn't that be lovely for all of us?
123
00:05:14.437 --> 00:05:14.557
No,
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00:05:14.757 --> 00:05:14.997
dear.
125
00:05:15.638 --> 00:05:20.561
It's a reminder that the most important parts of you are forming where no one can see.
126
00:05:21.901 --> 00:05:23.502
Mira stared at the tiny seed.
127
00:05:24.223 --> 00:05:25.664
Part of her wanted to believe it.
128
00:05:26.440 --> 00:05:28.682
Another part felt too bruised to care.
129
00:05:29.803 --> 00:05:30.804
Mira closed the box,
130
00:05:31.365 --> 00:05:33.787
her fingers brushing over the smooth wood.
131
00:05:35.068 --> 00:05:36.129
What kind of seed is it?
132
00:05:37.370 --> 00:05:38.711
Eden's eyes twinkled.
133
00:05:40.052 --> 00:05:40.333
That,
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00:05:40.553 --> 00:05:41.033
my dear,
135
00:05:41.614 --> 00:05:43.295
is for you to discover.
136
00:05:44.616 --> 00:05:46.318
She gestured to the garden around them.
137
00:05:47.599 --> 00:05:48.620
You can't see it yet,
138
00:05:48.700 --> 00:05:49.000
Mira,
139
00:05:49.541 --> 00:05:52.944
but the waiting is not wasted if you do something with it.
140
00:05:53.832 --> 00:05:55.212
Every moment in the soil,
141
00:05:55.673 --> 00:05:56.553
every struggle,
142
00:05:56.833 --> 00:05:58.813
every storm is shaping you,
143
00:05:59.414 --> 00:06:00.254
strengthening you.
144
00:06:01.054 --> 00:06:02.274
So when the time comes,
145
00:06:02.555 --> 00:06:03.775
when you break through,
146
00:06:04.375 --> 00:06:05.615
you will not just grow,
147
00:06:06.316 --> 00:06:07.676
you will flourish.
148
00:06:08.976 --> 00:06:09.937
Mira exhaled,
149
00:06:10.577 --> 00:06:12.897
the weight of those words settling over her.
150
00:06:13.838 --> 00:06:15.878
Maybe she didn't need all the answers right now.
151
00:06:16.658 --> 00:06:19.059
Maybe she just needed to trust the process.
152
00:06:20.300 --> 00:06:21.760
Let me tell you a story.
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00:06:23.164 --> 00:06:23.705
Eden said,
154
00:06:24.245 --> 00:06:29.090
settling onto a beautifully carved garden bench with a red flower pot filled with soil.
155
00:06:30.071 --> 00:06:31.112
Mira sat beside her,
156
00:06:31.292 --> 00:06:31.852
intrigued.
157
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There's an ancient story from a faraway desert land where water meant everything.
158
00:06:40.020 --> 00:06:44.304
Where water was life and every choice carried weight.
159
00:06:45.605 --> 00:06:48.268
Mira lifted her eyes as she gazed ahead to listen.
160
00:06:49.492 --> 00:06:51.113
Two wells were begun there,
161
00:06:51.513 --> 00:06:53.054
too far apart to share.
162
00:06:53.975 --> 00:06:55.956
They were dug by people who were weary,
163
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parched,
164
00:06:57.236 --> 00:06:58.517
and longing for relief.
165
00:06:59.878 --> 00:07:01.479
The first well was shallow.
166
00:07:02.099 --> 00:07:03.260
It bubbled up quickly,
167
00:07:03.820 --> 00:07:05.941
gave just enough to quiet the thirst,
168
00:07:06.502 --> 00:07:07.182
for a time.
169
00:07:08.423 --> 00:07:11.044
But the desert has a way of testing what's shallow.
170
00:07:12.145 --> 00:07:12.685
Each day,
171
00:07:12.965 --> 00:07:14.026
the people returned,
172
00:07:14.366 --> 00:07:17.748
cursing more about the heat and the water growing thin.
173
00:07:18.712 --> 00:07:20.513
They did not try to change anything,
174
00:07:20.893 --> 00:07:22.434
and hope was leaving them.
175
00:07:23.674 --> 00:07:25.355
Something stirred in Mira's heart.
176
00:07:27.476 --> 00:07:28.996
The second well was slower.
177
00:07:29.717 --> 00:07:31.778
Its builders dug in silence,
178
00:07:32.418 --> 00:07:34.139
past the place of certainty.
179
00:07:35.379 --> 00:07:38.540
For a long while there was nothing to show for it.
180
00:07:39.781 --> 00:07:40.901
But when the water came,
181
00:07:41.482 --> 00:07:44.143
it came from somewhere deep and ancient,
182
00:07:44.943 --> 00:07:45.283
clear,
183
00:07:46.024 --> 00:07:46.464
cool.
184
00:07:47.408 --> 00:07:47.868
moving.
185
00:07:48.869 --> 00:07:49.869
It did not rush.
186
00:07:50.770 --> 00:07:52.311
It did not disappear.
187
00:07:53.612 --> 00:07:55.353
Eden's eyes held Mira's.
188
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The desert didn't change,
189
00:07:58.334 --> 00:08:00.716
and this well remembered where the water was,
190
00:08:01.116 --> 00:08:04.277
while the first well dried up shortly after discovery.
191
00:08:05.698 --> 00:08:08.040
So the land didn't betray them?
192
00:08:09.320 --> 00:08:09.440
No,
193
00:08:10.121 --> 00:08:11.582
it revealed them.
194
00:08:12.842 --> 00:08:14.863
Mira leaned forward as if her heart
195
00:08:17.056 --> 00:08:18.577
When life strips us bare,
196
00:08:19.058 --> 00:08:21.480
we can drink from what's close and familiar.
197
00:08:22.220 --> 00:08:23.782
And that may work for a while.
198
00:08:24.702 --> 00:08:29.606
Or we can dig deeper to get a new drink to help heal and grow us.
199
00:08:30.747 --> 00:08:31.708
Do you understand,
200
00:08:31.788 --> 00:08:32.088
Mira?
201
00:08:33.470 --> 00:08:34.170
I think so.
202
00:08:36.112 --> 00:08:37.873
One choice feeds the moment.
203
00:08:38.534 --> 00:08:40.896
The other changes the soul.
204
00:08:42.217 --> 00:08:43.117
Mira exhaled,
205
00:08:43.438 --> 00:08:45.620
a quiet knowing settling in her bones.
206
00:08:46.844 --> 00:08:51.108
So what you're saying is I need to work a little differently to get through these hard times?
207
00:08:51.789 --> 00:08:53.490
Like the men working on the second well.
208
00:08:54.691 --> 00:08:55.292
Exactly,
209
00:08:55.352 --> 00:08:55.552
dear.
210
00:08:56.233 --> 00:08:58.575
You are walking in very hard times.
211
00:08:59.235 --> 00:09:00.497
Coping skills are good,
212
00:09:00.997 --> 00:09:02.759
but you are going to need healing now.
213
00:09:03.439 --> 00:09:05.061
And that takes different tools,
214
00:09:05.461 --> 00:09:07.343
so you can dig deeper.
215
00:09:08.504 --> 00:09:08.944
Just then,
216
00:09:09.345 --> 00:09:12.627
the sound of footsteps on the garden path made them both turn.
217
00:09:13.868 --> 00:09:15.189
A man stood at the gate,
218
00:09:15.689 --> 00:09:16.849
smiling and waving.
219
00:09:18.190 --> 00:09:18.630
Eden
220
00:09:20.291 --> 00:09:21.451
Eden's face lit up.
221
00:09:22.732 --> 00:09:22.872
Oh,
222
00:09:23.032 --> 00:09:23.832
Nathaniel,
223
00:09:23.932 --> 00:09:24.252
hello
224
00:09:25.013 --> 00:09:25.593
Come in,
225
00:09:25.753 --> 00:09:26.293
come in.
226
00:09:27.714 --> 00:09:29.835
Mira turned to see a man with light brown,
227
00:09:30.035 --> 00:09:30.915
unruly hair,
228
00:09:31.535 --> 00:09:34.717
his eyes carrying a quiet depth she couldn't quite place.
229
00:09:35.637 --> 00:09:39.419
He wore a leather apron dusted with sawdust over a white T-shirt,
230
00:09:39.859 --> 00:09:42.500
the scent of freshly cut wood clinging to him.
231
00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:45.461
He looked like someone who built things with care,
232
00:09:46.221 --> 00:09:48.403
someone who understood the weight of patience.
233
00:09:49.663 --> 00:09:49.983
Mira,
234
00:09:50.403 --> 00:09:52.665
this is my dear friend Nathaniel Ember.
235
00:09:53.085 --> 00:09:53.885
He's a carpenter,
236
00:09:54.145 --> 00:09:55.946
the finest craftsman around.
237
00:09:56.466 --> 00:09:58.968
You can see the intricate work he did on this bench.
238
00:10:00.248 --> 00:10:02.469
Eden gestured to the wooden bench they were sitting on.
239
00:10:04.670 --> 00:10:05.951
I'm not so sure about that,
240
00:10:06.231 --> 00:10:07.572
but I will take the compliment.
241
00:10:09.332 --> 00:10:12.655
Nathaniel's gaze flickered over Mira as he extended his hand.
242
00:10:13.856 --> 00:10:14.717
As they shook hands,
243
00:10:15.077 --> 00:10:17.499
a curious calm settled in Mira's chest.
244
00:10:18.380 --> 00:10:19.441
There was something about him,
245
00:10:20.142 --> 00:10:20.962
something familiar,
246
00:10:21.543 --> 00:10:23.184
though she was certain they had never met.
247
00:10:24.445 --> 00:10:25.166
And Nathaniel?
248
00:10:25.606 --> 00:10:26.367
This is Mira.
249
00:10:27.108 --> 00:10:29.770
She moved to Promise Hill about four weeks ago.
250
00:10:31.211 --> 00:10:31.832
Nice to meet you,
251
00:10:31.852 --> 00:10:32.092
Mira.
252
00:10:32.653 --> 00:10:34.715
You're in great company when you're with Grandma Eden.
253
00:10:36.836 --> 00:10:37.276
Oh dear,
254
00:10:37.997 --> 00:10:38.817
you are sweet,
255
00:10:38.897 --> 00:10:39.497
Nathaniel.
256
00:10:40.798 --> 00:10:42.138
Your bench is amazing.
257
00:10:42.638 --> 00:10:45.319
I can see why Grandma Eden thinks highly of your work.
258
00:10:47.300 --> 00:10:50.021
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her phone.
259
00:10:51.261 --> 00:10:51.841
Excuse me,
260
00:10:52.241 --> 00:10:52.682
I'm sorry,
261
00:10:52.782 --> 00:10:54.202
but I need to take this call.
262
00:10:55.423 --> 00:10:57.103
Mira walked away for privacy.
263
00:10:58.444 --> 00:10:58.664
Hello?
264
00:11:01.350 --> 00:11:01.570
Hi,
265
00:11:01.670 --> 00:11:01.951
Mira.
266
00:11:02.371 --> 00:11:04.515
It's Rose from Whispering Pines Home.
267
00:11:05.096 --> 00:11:06.137
You need to come soon.
268
00:11:06.558 --> 00:11:07.820
Your mother is asking for you.
269
00:11:09.202 --> 00:11:10.204
Mira swallowed hard,
270
00:11:10.705 --> 00:11:12.688
gripping the seed box tighter in her palm.
271
00:11:13.949 --> 00:11:14.229
Really?
272
00:11:15.209 --> 00:11:16.130
I don't understand.
273
00:11:16.710 --> 00:11:19.231
She hasn't really recognized me for the last few months.
274
00:11:20.571 --> 00:11:21.631
She said something else,
275
00:11:21.691 --> 00:11:21.951
Mira.
276
00:11:23.492 --> 00:11:24.292
What did she say?
277
00:11:25.612 --> 00:11:26.112
She said,
278
00:11:27.493 --> 00:11:28.413
She remembers.
279
00:11:29.733 --> 00:11:31.014
The line went silent.
280
00:11:32.254 --> 00:11:34.195
Mira's pulse thundered in her ears.
281
00:11:35.615 --> 00:11:36.935
What does she remember?
282
00:11:38.236 --> 00:11:38.636
And yet,
283
00:11:39.136 --> 00:11:39.716
deep down,
284
00:11:40.116 --> 00:11:40.516
she knew.
285
00:11:41.237 --> 00:11:42.197
Whatever was happening...
286
00:11:42.545 --> 00:11:43.746
This was just the beginning.
287
00:11:44.987 --> 00:11:47.810
Life has a way of leading us exactly where we need to be,
288
00:11:48.471 --> 00:11:50.312
even when we don't understand the path.
289
00:11:51.073 --> 00:11:51.534
For Mira,
290
00:11:51.914 --> 00:11:55.677
what felt like an ending may just be the beginning of something deeper,
291
00:11:56.238 --> 00:11:57.299
something unseen,
292
00:11:57.819 --> 00:11:59.021
waiting beneath the surface,
293
00:11:59.441 --> 00:12:00.502
ready to be dug out.
294
00:12:01.783 --> 00:12:02.964
As one door opens,
295
00:12:03.345 --> 00:12:04.646
another mystery stirs.
296
00:12:05.166 --> 00:12:06.227
The past is calling,
297
00:12:06.588 --> 00:12:07.869
the future is uncertain.
298
00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:12.932
And Mira is about to discover that sometimes the truth doesn't wait to be found.
299
00:12:13.352 --> 00:12:14.032
It finds you.
300
00:12:15.453 --> 00:12:16.494
See you in the next chapter,
301
00:12:16.814 --> 00:12:17.334
dear listener.
302
00:12:18.595 --> 00:12:19.155
Take it away,
303
00:12:19.355 --> 00:12:19.715
Kimberlee.
304
00:12:20.416 --> 00:12:22.617
Now let's walk that story home.
305
00:12:23.358 --> 00:12:26.559
Mira left Eden's garden with more questions than answers.
306
00:12:27.060 --> 00:12:29.621
The tiny seed resting in the box was a mystery,
307
00:12:30.081 --> 00:12:32.102
much like the changes stirring within her.
308
00:12:32.763 --> 00:12:33.883
Was she really planted,
309
00:12:34.023 --> 00:12:34.984
as Eden had said,
310
00:12:35.064 --> 00:12:36.585
or simply lost in the dark?
311
00:12:37.297 --> 00:12:39.598
but there was no time to dwell on those thoughts.
312
00:12:40.118 --> 00:12:42.279
Life had a way of interrupting the stillness,
313
00:12:42.459 --> 00:12:45.321
and today it arrived in the form of a phone call.
314
00:12:46.221 --> 00:12:50.643
Let's dig deeper into three reflections and three live-it-out action steps.
315
00:12:51.783 --> 00:12:51.923
1.
316
00:12:52.464 --> 00:12:55.465
Hardship doesn't create character; it reveals it.
317
00:12:56.285 --> 00:13:02.688
When pressure enters Mira's life,
318
00:13:04.609 --> 00:13:05.009
fear,
319
00:13:05.249 --> 00:13:05.990
fatigue,
320
00:13:05.991 --> 00:13:06.990
a little sarcasm.
321
00:13:07.911 --> 00:13:09.792
Hard seasons don't make us weak.
322
00:13:10.052 --> 00:13:13.855
They show us where we've been relying on shallow wells.
323
00:13:14.495 --> 00:13:16.776
That revelation isn't condemnation,
324
00:13:17.076 --> 00:13:18.337
it's information.
325
00:13:18.917 --> 00:13:22.700
And information gives us something we can actually work with.
326
00:13:23.740 --> 00:13:24.581
Hear it and hold it.
327
00:13:24.921 --> 00:13:26.822
Proverbs 27 19.
328
00:13:27.382 --> 00:13:29.003
As water reflects the face,
329
00:13:29.464 --> 00:13:31.405
so one's life reflects the heart.
330
00:13:33.125 --> 00:13:34.585
When life gets still and hard,
331
00:13:34.685 --> 00:13:36.446
the reflection becomes clearer.
332
00:13:36.926 --> 00:13:41.047
What surfaces is an invitation to honest self-examination,
333
00:13:41.387 --> 00:13:42.688
not self-judgment.
334
00:13:43.268 --> 00:13:45.789
Reflection number two.
335
00:13:45.790 --> 00:13:50.030
Growth happens where we stop resisting in this season.
336
00:13:50.850 --> 00:13:53.131
Mira isn't struggling because she's failing.
337
00:13:53.251 --> 00:13:57.172
She's struggling because she's fighting this chapter she's in.
338
00:13:57.872 --> 00:13:59.932
Eden doesn't ask her to understand
339
00:14:02.633 --> 00:14:06.296
Some seasons or hardships aren't about effort or clarity.
340
00:14:06.697 --> 00:14:10.760
They're about allowing yourself to be where you are without self-judgment.
341
00:14:11.421 --> 00:14:13.742
Growth doesn't always begin with action.
342
00:14:14.063 --> 00:14:16.665
Sometimes it begins with permission,
343
00:14:16.905 --> 00:14:18.126
permission to yourself,
344
00:14:18.647 --> 00:14:21.269
to just acknowledge that you're going through a hard time.
345
00:14:22.730 --> 00:14:23.531
Hear it and hold it.
346
00:14:23.691 --> 00:14:25.893
Ecclesiastes 3 verse 1.
347
00:14:26.393 --> 00:14:30.937
There's a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens.
348
00:14:31.953 --> 00:14:33.915
This verse normalizes waiting.
349
00:14:34.035 --> 00:14:37.958
It reminds us that timing is sacred and not accidental.
350
00:14:38.839 --> 00:14:40.060
Reflection number three,
351
00:14:40.541 --> 00:14:44.124
the desert tests the depths and reveals where we've been drinking.
352
00:14:45.265 --> 00:14:47.407
Eden's well story cuts straight to the heart.
353
00:14:47.947 --> 00:14:50.690
Shallow sources work for a while until they don't.
354
00:14:51.290 --> 00:14:58.357
Hardship exposes whether we've been drawing from what's quick and familiar or whether we've done the slower work of digging deep.
355
00:14:58.961 --> 00:15:00.082
When things fall apart,
356
00:15:00.142 --> 00:15:02.824
it becomes clear what truly sustains us.
357
00:15:03.524 --> 00:15:05.526
One choice soothes the moment,
358
00:15:05.946 --> 00:15:07.407
the other reshapes the soul.
359
00:15:08.588 --> 00:15:09.409
Hear it and hold it,
360
00:15:09.509 --> 00:15:12.171
Jeremiah 17 verses 7 and 8.
361
00:15:12.751 --> 00:15:14.913
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord.
362
00:15:15.333 --> 00:15:19.836
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
363
00:15:20.237 --> 00:15:22.098
It does not fear when heat comes.
364
00:15:22.979 --> 00:15:24.300
The heat still comes,
365
00:15:24.400 --> 00:15:25.881
the difference is the roots.
366
00:15:26.941 --> 00:15:28.902
Hardships still come and go,
367
00:15:29.903 --> 00:15:32.284
but fear doesn't have to have the final word.
368
00:15:33.224 --> 00:15:34.965
Live it out action steps.
369
00:15:35.245 --> 00:15:35.746
Number one,
370
00:15:36.046 --> 00:15:38.067
name what the pressure is revealing.
371
00:15:38.827 --> 00:15:44.310
Set aside five to ten quiet minutes and ask yourself this question without fixing anything yet.
372
00:15:45.171 --> 00:15:47.152
When hard seasons press on me,
373
00:15:47.832 --> 00:15:49.813
what keeps rising to the surface?
374
00:15:50.794 --> 00:15:51.774
Notice patterns,
375
00:15:51.854 --> 00:15:52.715
not just feelings.
376
00:15:53.295 --> 00:15:53.876
Irritability,
377
00:15:54.176 --> 00:15:54.576
numbing,
378
00:15:54.636 --> 00:15:55.116
control,
379
00:15:55.196 --> 00:15:55.676
withdrawal,
380
00:15:55.777 --> 00:15:56.457
people pleasing.
381
00:15:57.125 --> 00:15:59.969
Or maybe courage comes out that you didn't know was there.
382
00:16:00.870 --> 00:16:02.453
Hardship doesn't lie.
383
00:16:02.553 --> 00:16:06.238
It shows us what's been living just underneath the surface.
384
00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:08.221
Grow what you won't name.
385
00:16:08.361 --> 00:16:10.725
Awareness is the doorway to change.
386
00:16:11.406 --> 00:16:11.886
Number two,
387
00:16:12.407 --> 00:16:13.829
identify your shallow well.
388
00:16:13.909 --> 00:16:14.029
Well,
389
00:16:14.630 --> 00:16:15.990
like Eden's desert story,
390
00:16:16.171 --> 00:16:19.253
take an honest look at where you've been drinking from lately.
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00:16:19.853 --> 00:16:20.574
Ask yourself,
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what do I reach for when I feel overwhelmed?
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Does it actually restore me or just quiet me for a moment?
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Write down one shallow well you've been relying on and one deeper source you want to begin digging towards,
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00:16:36.905 --> 00:16:37.966
such as prayer,
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00:16:38.286 --> 00:16:39.007
stillness,
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truth-telling,
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00:16:40.247 --> 00:16:41.048
asking for help,
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00:16:41.108 --> 00:16:42.249
or reading more scripture.
400
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Just remember,
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quick relief feeds the moments,
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but deep nourishment reshapes the soul.
403
00:16:50.283 --> 00:16:51.043
Number three,
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practice trust in the waiting.
405
00:16:53.844 --> 00:16:55.665
Mira doesn't get clarity right away.
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She gets a seed and a reminder.
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This week,
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choose one small act that says,
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I'm planted and not buried.
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This might look like holding an object as a physical reminder.
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Heavenly Father,
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I come before you for the one listening right now,
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feeling lost,
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waiting for clarity and searching for hope.
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You see them,
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you know their quiet prayers and weary heart.
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Father,
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your word says the one who trusts in the Lord is blessed and they will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
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It does not fear when heat comes.
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Its leaves are always green.
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It has no worry.
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in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.
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Remind us to trust you so our roots run deep in you,
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so your fruit can grow within us.
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Thank you for loving us and showing us you are our help and that you will never leave us.
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In Jesus's holy name,
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amen.
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Until next time friend,
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may you find peace in the presence and hope on the hilltop.
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This is Kimberlee Herman cheering you on from Promise Hill.
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must be.