Sixth Day

A friend helped me this morning to clear the dried stalks and moldy leaves that screamed; "Neglected garden''. The ground was soggy which made it easier to pull out the tomato and bean stems, The roots of the ochre plants were much deeper and although the soil was soft, we needed a fork to dig them up. We removed the walls of mesh that kept the rabbits out and pulled up thirty tall tomato holders carefully to avoid being stabbed by the sharp spikes that anchored them the ground. We left the weeds as they did not call attention to themselves as they blended with the lawn. When the earth has warmed up, we will turn the soil over. Then all the weeds would be taken care of. The beautiful day was made more enjoyable by productive work.

After the hard work, my helper and I shared a fifteen bean vegetable soup complemented with carrots, potatoes and yucca. Boiled Korean sweet rice served with the soup was so glutinous that it glistened despite its brown color in the yellow bowl. It was a simple meal from ingredients of the earth which were completely unprocessed. The earth is the Lord's and it is good to eat of its fulness. As we chatted over the food, we talked about our Lenten journey and our desire to hear from God.
Yet, sometimes, I think that I do not hear because I don't listen. I do not recognize His voice distorted by my own distractions and pre-occupation. I do not hear His voice when I do not want to do what He is asking.

One of the certainties in my life is God"s sense of timing. Tonight, I started a book bought months ago:"Conversations with God"
by Neale Donald Walsch. In truth, It is an uncommon dialogue echoing some of my own questions, reflecting some of my yearnings thereby assuring me that God responds to me, ordinary, flawed and impatient. If I were uncertain before, I do know now that there are others on this journey taking the same route and facing similar challenges. This is comforting and gives me courage.