There's Nothing "Dull" About Dirt!

An odd thing to think about but it popped into my brain just now and I've been pondering.

Yesterday, I told a friend/big brother/boss o'mine at Hotel Melanoma that I was glad he had gotten a good MRI report and was still "dull as dirt." To the untrained eye it may have seemed like I was referring to him, but I was, in fact, referring to his glowing medical report. Didn't think anything else about it.

Until this morning and the thought I just thought, "There's nothing dull about dirt."

One day I'll learn to keep my mouth shut. But not today.

Dirt. It's actually a hustle and bustle full of life, and it does know the cycle of death as well. But, OH!, the life it does see, carry, and sustain. Ponder all the creatures that call "dirt" Home. It is also that substance we plant seeds in. We water that dirt and we fertilize that dirt. We weed that dirt and we reap what we have sown in that dirt. And that's when my musings began to take a more theological, philosophical turn.

I live in a rural, farming area. There's a garden on my front porch. Seriously. And down both sidewalks. Stop by sometimes and pick some cherry tomatoes and all kinds of peppers and fresh basil...My church is in another rural, farming area. I grew up playing in dirt. Lots of it.

Nature bears witness to the Scriptural truth that we reap what we sow. What we plant in the dirt is what we get back out of the dirt. In abundance. We reap a harvest.Tenfold. Twentyfold. Thirtyfold. Sixtyfold. One hundredfold.

Same is true in the dirt of our lives. If we plant seeds of anger, hate, distrust, bitterness, we will reap a broken home and a hurt generation. Like soil that has been abused, that generation may not recover. Those weed seeds are every much at home in dirt as are the seeds of harmony, love, help, trust, faithfulness, tenderness, patience, etc. When we plant these seeds, we will reap security, joy, peace, wholeness.

Yes, we humans plant seeds of all kinds each day. But we must be diligent to weed our dirt daily so the weeds don't overtake the fruit. So the weeds don't soak up the fertilizer and get out of control. So we have beautiful gardens to proudly display instead of beds of weeds that we cannot hide.

De-weed. Spread around some forgiveness, dish out hugs and kisses, close the doors on fear and worry. Work together instead of stewing alone. Teamwork and good sportsmanship aren't just nice platitudes to teach our children when they're out playing a sport. They are lessons for life.

There really is nothing dull about dirt.

What, in your dirt, needs weeding? What needs nurturing?

Get busy and

Be grateful for the chance to tend your dirt.

May you grow a beautiful garden.