Dirty Knees

Silence may be good for the soul, but so is some sunshine on my back and dirt under my fingernails. My back was just on fire today, sitting at work I would squirm from one side to another. Finally I gave up and dispersed with the chair choosing work by standing instead. Coming home, I was looking forward to getting into the yard and weeding.

Weeding as a help for a sore back? Yes, in this case – I knew that what I really needed was the movement of my back stretching as I bent for weeds, reaching for roots deeply rooted. Dandelions, sticky weeds, clovers, grasses – they all came out of the ground and were tossed behind me. My knees grew red as I kneeled on the grass and dirt. Breathing deeply, I smelled dirt, sweat, and grasses.
Dirty knees are good for me, and not just to stretch out my back. Dirty knees mean that I am recognizing and working on removing weeds. Sometimes, I can’t pull them out with my hands. Their roots go deep and I may need a shovel. There are times in life when I need to pull out roots of weeds. By myself, sometimes I can break them off and at least make it a bit prettier. But, the weeds just grow back. I need a shovel, I need the Master Gardening skills of Jesus to come and get rid of my weeds. Digging carefully around the plants he has planted, he removes the weeds and burrs. It is much easier to recognize and get rid of weeds when I’m down and getting my knees dirty.

Barefoot

I know that to some, it’s a bit of a contradiction – I love cute shoes, and I love to be barefoot. So, the morning starts, I get dressed for work and pick the perfect pair of shoes for the day. Black boots, brown boots, light brown suede boots, heels, something strappy, something more casual, something classic, the little black pumps that go with just about everything. But, I come home and the first that goes are the shoes.

What a wonderful feeling, barefoot, especially during spring. I came home from work yesterday, dumped the shoes, and the dogs and I headed out for a walk. Fresh spring grass worked up between my toes. Early enough in spring, that the ground is still cool, my skin felt the warmth on the sun and then the cool of the ground. Deep shadows were highlighted as I felt the earth chill beneath my feet. Mossy growth, new growth acted like cushions between me and the dirt.


I’ll hold onto the shoes, but – can’t wait to be barefoot again.