Wow, two posts in one day. I just haven't said much in quite some time and still have a few things to say. I want to tell two stories, one from the church garden and one from the farm. Both have to do with my spirituality, and so if that's something you're not comfortable reading about, I won't be offended if you navigate away from the page now. For anyone still with me, here's what I've got.
First is the story of Ed and Amin (whose name, no joke, was pronounced amen). My mom and I were attempting to shovel the dirt from the swimming pools into an area behind the shed to store over the winter months. It was just the two of us against three tons of dirt, as everyone else was occupied that day. After three straight hours of what was absolutely back-breaking work, a little boy of no more than four years and his father came by walking the family dog. We stopped our work as they came closer to say hello and pet the dog. As we approached them, the little boy started firing away with questions about what we were doing, why, and could he help. Well, his dad took the leash and I lead the little boy over to the pools of dirt while my mom talked to Ed. First, Amin and I talked about what we as a church had done over the summer and who we had done it for. We talked about how great it was to be able to give substantial things to people who were without. Then we ate a leaf of lettuce together, as that was all that was left from the season. At this point, he asked if he could help me shovel. I nodded my head as a tear or two welled in my eyes. For the next 20 minutes, Amin and I shoveled side-by-side, taking wheelbarrows full of dirt over to the pile together and dumping it on. It was only when his father began bargaining with him that Amin finally put down the shovel that was quite literally twice his size to re-grab the leash and finish walking the dog with his dad. These are the kinds of encounters that I lived for this summer. And just when my mother and I felt like we could not continue on, that we were too tired and had no strength left to finish the project, God sent us a little Amen.
My other story is of my final visit to the farm this year. I went up over Columbus Day as the frost had finally hit and I needed to bring the pumpkins and sweet potatoes home. Retrieving the sweet potatoes was a silent comedy all its own as the dirt was the consistency of concrete and it took me nearly twenty minutes to dig up five rather small sweet potatoes. The pumpkins were easy, as were the too tiny melons that I really just wanted to take home and cut open to see what they looked like as they were too immature to eat. As I loaded everything in the car and got ready to go, I gave myself a few minutes sitting in the middle of the patch to reflect on the summer and say a prayer of thanks. I believe this will be the summer that I look back on for the rest of my life and see where I finally found my way. It was so very important that I thank the land, Mother Nature, and God for allowing me to have the experience. As I was getting to the end of my prayer, and the official end of my summer on the farm, tears were streaming down my cheeks as I said the following: "God, there are many things I doubt in my life. But the one thing that I never doubt, the one thing I am always sure of, is that you are always around me. You are always here." As I said this, the flock of birds that were sitting in the Weeping Willow off to my right flew out of the tree by the hundreds and landed in all of the trees that surrounding the field where I was sitting. I was so incredibly awestruck and humbled by the presence of the Lord. I can think of no greater sign to be given that I have finally found my path. It was a perfect ending to what can only be remembered as the perfect summer. It was most certainly the summer where I lost my mind, but maybe it was time my mind went away for a while, only to come back to me stronger and clearer.
Most days, when I think back on this summer and all the wonderful people I got to share it with, I think to myself: I am so incredibly blessed!
First is the story of Ed and Amin (whose name, no joke, was pronounced amen). My mom and I were attempting to shovel the dirt from the swimming pools into an area behind the shed to store over the winter months. It was just the two of us against three tons of dirt, as everyone else was occupied that day. After three straight hours of what was absolutely back-breaking work, a little boy of no more than four years and his father came by walking the family dog. We stopped our work as they came closer to say hello and pet the dog. As we approached them, the little boy started firing away with questions about what we were doing, why, and could he help. Well, his dad took the leash and I lead the little boy over to the pools of dirt while my mom talked to Ed. First, Amin and I talked about what we as a church had done over the summer and who we had done it for. We talked about how great it was to be able to give substantial things to people who were without. Then we ate a leaf of lettuce together, as that was all that was left from the season. At this point, he asked if he could help me shovel. I nodded my head as a tear or two welled in my eyes. For the next 20 minutes, Amin and I shoveled side-by-side, taking wheelbarrows full of dirt over to the pile together and dumping it on. It was only when his father began bargaining with him that Amin finally put down the shovel that was quite literally twice his size to re-grab the leash and finish walking the dog with his dad. These are the kinds of encounters that I lived for this summer. And just when my mother and I felt like we could not continue on, that we were too tired and had no strength left to finish the project, God sent us a little Amen.
My other story is of my final visit to the farm this year. I went up over Columbus Day as the frost had finally hit and I needed to bring the pumpkins and sweet potatoes home. Retrieving the sweet potatoes was a silent comedy all its own as the dirt was the consistency of concrete and it took me nearly twenty minutes to dig up five rather small sweet potatoes. The pumpkins were easy, as were the too tiny melons that I really just wanted to take home and cut open to see what they looked like as they were too immature to eat. As I loaded everything in the car and got ready to go, I gave myself a few minutes sitting in the middle of the patch to reflect on the summer and say a prayer of thanks. I believe this will be the summer that I look back on for the rest of my life and see where I finally found my way. It was so very important that I thank the land, Mother Nature, and God for allowing me to have the experience. As I was getting to the end of my prayer, and the official end of my summer on the farm, tears were streaming down my cheeks as I said the following: "God, there are many things I doubt in my life. But the one thing that I never doubt, the one thing I am always sure of, is that you are always around me. You are always here." As I said this, the flock of birds that were sitting in the Weeping Willow off to my right flew out of the tree by the hundreds and landed in all of the trees that surrounding the field where I was sitting. I was so incredibly awestruck and humbled by the presence of the Lord. I can think of no greater sign to be given that I have finally found my path. It was a perfect ending to what can only be remembered as the perfect summer. It was most certainly the summer where I lost my mind, but maybe it was time my mind went away for a while, only to come back to me stronger and clearer.
Most days, when I think back on this summer and all the wonderful people I got to share it with, I think to myself: I am so incredibly blessed!