First Things First Part 2

July 29, 2026

Before life could flourish, there had to be a place for life to flourish.

The ancient book of Genesis gives us a remarkable account of the creation of that place. Each movement in the creation story lays the groundwork for what comes next. Nothing appears randomly. There is order. There is preparation. There is a sacred sequence.

First, God creates light and separates light from darkness. Then God creates the sky, separating the waters above from the waters below. Then the waters are gathered, dry land appears, and plants, trees, and vegetation come forth. Then the sun, moon, and stars are created to govern day and night, seasons, days, and years. Then sea creatures and birds fill the waters and the skies. Then land animals are created, followed by human beings, male, and female. And on the seventh day, God rests, blesses the day, and makes it holy.

Light. Sky. Land. Plants. Heavenly bodies. Sea creatures. Birds. Animals. Human beings. Then rest.

What strikes me is that the first things created were not the creatures themselves, but the environment that would hold them—the place. Before birds, there was sky. Before fish, there was water. Before animals and human beings, there was land, vegetation, light, and time. God first created the holding environment—the sacred container in which life could unfold.

This order matters.

It also speaks to our own lives.

Our holding environment is one of the essential “first things” of our day, our growth, and our destiny. It is our context. It is our home, our community, our relationships, our spiritual atmosphere, our emotional climate, and the space in which our soul either expands or contracts.

Sometimes we find ourselves in a holding environment that no longer fits the soul’s sincere desire. We may still live, work, learn, and create, but something within us knows we are spinning our wheels. We are functioning but not flourishing. We are surviving but not unfolding. We are doing what is expected, but not becoming what was planted in us at our making.

Lark and I are the closest of friends with Tommy and Suzan. In fact, these two dear souls introduced us over fifty years ago, have gone through life with us at every turn, and have a special place in our hearts. Several years ago, they awoke to the realization that they were living in the wrong holding environment. They loved the people and the town where they lived, but the place no longer offered the stimulation, variety of experience, or creative challenge in this season of their lives.

They longed for a place where the seeds planted in them could continue to develop. So, despite some naysayers' warnings that they were making a mistake, they made the courageous move to New York City.

There, they have built a deep, rich life for themselves. They are thriving—living, growing, creating, facing new challenges, and being nourished on a new level of life. Their gifts, interests, spiritual energies, and souls are being honored and stretched.

In their own way, they followed the pattern of creation: first, the holding environment, then the full creation of what could come to life within it.

Our holding environment is not only geographical. It is also spiritual. It includes the people who surround us, the conversations we have, the practices that shape us, the beauty we notice, the truths we tell, and the silence we allow. It includes whether we are living in a space that invites our soul forward—or keeps it small.

When our physical and spiritual contexts hold and nurture us, we can grow. We can become more honest, more creative, more faithful, more loving, and more fully alive.

But when the container is too small, too dry, too chaotic, or too deadening, we may need to ask a difficult question: Am I planted where the seeds of my soul can grow?

Spiritual Practice

Read the creation story in Genesis. Notice the sequence. Before life appears, the conditions for life are created.

Then ask yourself: How does the creation sequence speak to the creation of my own life? What must be established first so that what is deepest in me can come alive?

Inquiry

How can you tell whether your present holding environment is sustaining and growing you?

And if it is not, what is the first thing that may need to change?

Prayer

Dear God, may your greater plan be reflected in my growth. Create in me, and around me, the space where my soul can unfold.

Amen