Daily Devotions - Tuesday, June 17

Slowing Down with Mother Earth

“The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it.”
--Verses from a Hebrew hymn, Psalm 24

This ancient hymn speaks of the beauty of this earth. For centuries faith stories have been linked to the soil. While agrarian society disappears around us and new houses spring up where corn stalks were knee-high, many folks continue to have a little plot for playing in the soil. Recently while visiting with a patient and family, a family member mentioned about tomatoes that were starting to appear on backyard vines.

Spending time each day observing nature and moving the soil can remind us that we are part of a much larger universe. Chief Luther Standing Bear, a Lakota Sioux, offers this observation:

“The old people came literally to love the soil.
They sat on the ground with the feeling of being close to a mothering power.
It was good for the skin to touch the earth,
And the old people liked to remove their moccasins
And walk with their bare feet on the sacred earth.
The soil was soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing.”

When your day ends, take some time with the soil, even if it is just spreading a blanket on the ground and gazing at white clouds against the blue backdrop of the sky. Practicing simple methods of “slowing down” with Mother Earth can be soothing, strengthening, cleansing, and healing.

Ben Keckler
06.17.08

PS: A good friend once told me that, if it is raining, there is nothing better than going barefoot and feeling the mud squish between your toes.