Rice
by Pr. Marty
I don't want you just to sit down at the table.
I don't want you just to eat, and be content.
I want you to walk out into the fields
where the water is shining, and the rice has risen.
I want you to stand there, far from the white tablecloth.
I want you to fill your hands with the mud, like a blessing. (Mary Oliver)
I grew up on a farm. If I were to write a spiritual biography, the opening chapter would begin along those lonely country roads in the midst of golden wheat fields. Running around the farm as a kid was a wondrous experience exploring the mystery of life. When it rained, to the chagrin of my mom, I loved to play in the mud. I believed that I was filling a major role in the ebb and flow of water through irrigation systems, dams, and little cities that were constructed. My good, hard work was rather messy!
There was, after a good rain, a quietness across the land. Wildlife began to appear. Their appearance was well documented in their tracks they left behind. It was a kind of guest book that was signed serving as a reminder of a parade of life that had gone before. I love part of this poem by Mary Oliver, especially when she writes, “I want you to stand there, far from the white tablecloth. I want you to fill your hands with the mud, like a blessing.” Those days of long ago, are still memorable and vivid….but…we are still invited to fill our hands with _____, like a blessing. You are invited to complete the sentence. Maybe, it means wrapping your arms around your kids. Maybe, it means getting your hands dirty as you work in the messiness and earthiness of life. Perhaps, it means setting aside your worry and grabbing and living in the moment. It might mean getting a new perspective or handle on your daily life. It might mean concentrating on what is in your hands instead of what is not….
As a kid, I filled my hands with mud, like a blessing. This was sheer joy, deep delight as I got to play, build, imagine, experience, and live life with wild creativity. You have been blessed in so many ways. Really! It almost makes you want to run and throw your arms around your family, around your work, and around that which gives joy and deep delight. You could fill your hands with mud and make a public proclamation, “I am blessed and this mud is sheer evidence.” However you do it…do it!
Give thanks to God for you have been blessed!
-- Pr. Marty
