Jack Wood is a co-founder of Growing Together Community Gardens, a group of eight sustainable gardens in the Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN community. The gardens address food insecurity by cultivating volunteers, mentors, and leaders who respect and honor the integrity of one another and the earth. For Wood, the idea of being Rooted in Abundance means, “Being thankful for the gifts that God gives me and being able to share these talents with my family as well as the larger community. When I think about the word rooted, I think about something that is at the core of our existence, the thoughts and actions that are part of our everyday life and that grow from God as the source of life.”

From this trust that our lives are deeply rooted in God, Wood believes we can give ourselves fully and abundantly to others without holding back. He sees this in the volunteers who work in the community gardens. Through planting, nurturing, and harvesting, they discover in fresh ways how they are rooted in a source of life that they did not create but that they do share and participate in. This, in turn, makes them generous and giving people throughout their lives.

From long-time community residents to new immigrant citizens, Wood says, “I have seen an amazing abundance, gratitude, and generosity in people who, before they came together to garden, didn’t know each other but now have grown into a family that cares for one another and shares their life with each other. I think that gratitude and generosity work together to make us better human beings.”

Question for Reflection:

Think about a time in your life when working as a volunteer exposed you to new ideas and skills. How did meeting new people within the context of ministry add to your own gifts?