Cultivate. That word shimmered this week to me. I have learned to pay attention when a word resonates and bangs on my heart saying, “Notice me. I have something to show you!”
What does it mean to cultivate? Have I cultivated my word(s) of the year in 2023? Honor? Thirst? Deep within? What is my next invitation to cultivate as the year wraps up? What images come to mind when we reflect on this word?
My mind and imagination wandered quite a bit this past week pondering this word. What do you think?
The Word Cultivate
Cultivate originates from Latin meaning “tilled,” “to cultivate, to till; to inhabit; to frequent, practice, respect; tend, guard.” The root word is “kwel” meaning to revolve, move around, dwell.
I also read that cultivate has a meaning from the 1600s of “courting the acquaintance of.” Now that is a cool image, isn’t it? Loving, attending, spending time with whatever we are cultivating: our word of the year, a new spiritual practice, a relationship.
Cultivate reminds me of gardening. We transplant a tree, plan a vegetable garden, nurture a rose bush. I pay attention to watering. I remove nasty weeds and unwanted debris. I turn up the soil to aerate the ground to avoid compaction. Sometimes I spray insecticide to get rid of bugs. I tend to the life of the plant.
But I don’t give life. Only God does. My work is to attend for what is in my care, but God does the growing. God has given us everything we have – all our gifts are from the Divine – how am I caring for these precious blessings?
I like that image to dwell with our word of the year or whatever is most on our minds and hearts and move it around, seeing it from different aspects and digging deeper, tending and inhabiting it. To stay with the question rather than rushing to a not so well developed answer.
Too often I get an idea, want to improve a habit, write a new book and charge into first without cultivating. Snap judgements is my default mode. I need to learn to cultivate.
Dwelling in prayer with whatever the new notion is. Turning it over, airing its roots. I find I make decisions from a place of fear and inadequacies more often than I like to admit. Cultivating a decision, tending, paying attention allows God to give life to this adventure or to shine his light in a new direction.
Cultivate implies patience and pause. I want to get going, get to the answer, know fulling (control?) what the future brings. I forget to tend and attend to where God is leading me. The root word of the word “tend,” related to cultivate is to “stretch.” Oh yes, my patience is stretched!
Plato reminds us, “What is honored will be cultivated.”
I want to cultivate generosity and gratitude. Deepen my relationship with God and with others. Know my discernment is Spirit led.
Forgive my rambling reflections today but this word struck a chord within my soul this week.
I’d love to hear from you. What does the word cultivate stir up within your heart and mind?
I believe everyone has some talent they can cultivate and use to serve others and that the greatest gift we have is love.
Hi Carol, Thanks for comment and you are so right for us to cultivate our talents in serving God and others. Great use of that word
I wonder if “cultivate” will become your word for the new year. A deep and enriching word. The word I am sitting with right now–and you used it in this post–is DWELL.
I did add it to my list. One to consider. Dwell is a powerful word. One that may just come back another year.
This word shimmers to me too, Jean! Cultivate portrays such a sense of active power.
Yes it is a word that is intentional, active and moving forwards. Implies some waiting too.
Thank you for sharing your contemplations with us, Jean. I want to cultivate my relationship with God–be more attentive, seek after what he has for me, grow more completely into the person he’s created me to be. To that end, I also need to cultivate prayer and patience!
Cultivate just appeared and lingered in my heart, Nancy. I like your word of this word too
thank you jean…cultivate…im not a gardner but have tried and failed because i have not taken the necessary steps for success…i plant and then thats it…it grows and thrives on its own or doesnt…lack of true caring on my part..no cultivation because i dont care enough..too much work..peace
I am not the best gardener, either, Pat. Something we have in common!
I can’t think of anything better than for us to cultivate generosity and gratitude, Jean. Cultivate to me means to take special care of or pay close attention to, so it does keep its importance in our lives. And yes, it does imply the need for patience. I know I can often be in short supply of that!
Blessings!
Aren’t those two qualities we all need to work on? I really think paying attention, noticing, cultivating are powerful practices.