Today was a GLORIOUS day. Glorious in the literal meaning, "reflecting God's glory"? This afternoon I walked out of the building where I had been for the past 7 hours into the cool, sunny, breezy fall day and was thankful to be alive. And thankful to have the health to walk home. Six months ago I couldn't walk to the corner, let alone a mile from campus to my house. I am exceedingly thankful for the return of my back health.
Anyway, my fingers were sticky from something I had thrown away a minute ago and I was wishing I could wash them. I was walking past a big hole which had been dug by the electric repair guys, and I suddenly had a childhood flashback. I was in a field somewhere with my family and Uncle Mark. He and Dad were farming, and Mom had driven us to wherever they were to tell them something or give them something. Anyway, Uncle Mark, probably having just fixed something on a piece of equipment, was using some of the loose soil in the field to "wash his hands" which Brittony (probably about 8), Josh (about 5) and I (maybe 7) found to be quite ridiculous and comical. "What?" Uncle Mark says. "Don't you know you can wash with dirt? This is good, clean dirt here. It'll clean you right up."
It's funny what sticks with us; the lessons we learn from the people in our lives. I remember Grandma Foster teaching me how to put pants on my Barbie Doll; you have to put BOTH feet in at the same time, or it won't work. Even at 4 years old, I noticed how Grandma showed me and told me at the same time. Then she took the pants back off the doll and told me to try. It was magic, I tell you! Those pants slipped right on!
Little snapshots of life. Teaching moments. I remember my dad and me at Edgewood Skate Arena; he glided smoothly around the rink. I clung tenaciously to his hand and basically walked along beside him. (I didn't skate a lot as a kid...) He said, "It's like a dance. Just move your feet to the music, long strides..."
So much teaching. And no wonder- think of all the stuff we have to learn; most of it within our first 18 years! Walking, driving, filling out government forms (yikes!) deciding what you want to do, learning to dress your Barbie doll... Can you imagine, all this stuff crammed into our brains and we're still only using a small percentage of its capacity, according to scientists. I wonder why God gave us so much more than we use? Is that significant?
Well, speaking of learning things, I have books to read and review. More information to absorb. But if things get too tough, I may just go outside and wash my hands in some good, clean dirt.
1 comment:
Yay, profound stories about DIRT! ;) Only we country kids could recount memories like those. I remember working with my older sister over the course of several years to find just the right dirt, just the right consistency, and just the right combination of dirt and water to make the perfect mud pies. For us, it was an arduous quest that we pursued with dogged diligence. Maybe that's where I learned my personal work ethic: grit and determination from mud pies. Who knows?
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