DIGGING DIRT TOGETHER
Cultivando La Tierra Juntos
by
Mary Hunt Webb
Posted Monday, April 30, 2018
Iris like these remind me of time spent digging up iris with a neighbor. [Photographer: Mary Hunt Webb. (Please do not use our photos without the permission of Mary Hunt Webb or Morris S. Webb, Jr.)]
As iris show their lovely blooms each spring, it reminds me of the summer that I met a neighbor that said she had too many iris bulbs. She knew she needed to dig some up because they were too crowded, but she hated to throw the extras away. When I asked if I could have some of them, she agreed to let me come to her home in order to help her dig them up. Since autumn is the time to dig up such bulbs, we had to wait until cooler weather to do that chore.
I arrived at her home one Saturday morning in September and rang her doorbell. She then guided me to her backyard where the garden bed that ran the entire length of her yard was packed with iris. They were so crowded together that there was no room to step in between the roots with their leaves. Since their season of blooming was finished for the year, I couldn't tell what color of flowers I was getting. However, she told me that most of them were blue while a few were yellow.
Digging up bulbs together gave us time to get to know each other. As we dug, snails came out of hiding and began climbing up the wall that separated my friend's yard from her neighbor's. We seemed to spend as much time bagging snails as we did digging iris. We saved the snails to give to another neighbor that kept turtles. As we worked together, I mentioned that I had an abundance of thyme as well as lots of hens-and-chicken succulents. We arranged for her to come to my home so that I could give her some of my extra plants.
Even though I have seen only three of the iris bloom since then, the leaves provide happy memories of that autumn. They also remind me of the generous, sharing nature of my neighbor.
Neighbors don't always slow down from their busy lives to share their time or the things they have in abundance. Activities, such as gardening, are less tedious and are even enjoyable when they are shared with others.
Computers, television, and other electronic devices often take us away from interacting with real people. Family and friends deserve our undivided attention.
A few years ago, we drove several hundred miles to visit an uncle in another state. When we arrived, our uncle never turned off his television. During our time with him, he kept turning his attention to the action on the screen. Since we were mostly being ignored, we didn't stay long. Sadly, that was the last time that we saw him before he died.
Like plants, relationships with friends and family members need our time and attention. Without such indications of caring and concern, those relationships die.
Living in a busy world is a frequent excuse for neglecting those about whom we care. While modern conveniences free us from many time-consuming tasks, they also separate us from people that we encountered while performing those tasks. Now that I have an electric clothes dryer, I don't need to hang clothes on an outdoor clothesline. However, that means that I no longer have the opportunity to chat with neighbors as I did when I had to perform that chore.
Unless we make an effort to talk to each other, we miss out on connecting with those around us. For example, when mail for any neighbor appears in our mailbox, I personally deliver that item to the correct address whenever that is possible. Handing the mail directly to my neighbor gives me the opportunity to interact with that person, no matter how brief that contact may be.
Security concerns have caused many people to limit their contact with neighbors and those around them. However, in Galatians 5:14, the Bible tells us to love our neighbors in the same way that we love ourselves. That verse says, "For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.'" In order to love our neighbors as well as our family members, we must have contact with them. Although it is possible to love people from a distance, it is certainly more difficult and requires more effort. Loving others necessitates having contact with them — even when it means getting our hands dirty!
BiBLE VERSES FOR THiS POSTiNG
Galatians 5:14 — For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." (NIV)
Gálatas 5:14 — Porque toda la ley en esta sola palabra se cumple: Amarás a tu prójimo como a ti mismo. (Reina-Valera 1960)
Gardening together is just one of many activities that helps build and strengthen relationships. [Photographer: Morris S. Webb, Jr. (Please do not use our photos without the permission of Mary Hunt Webb or Morris S. Webb, Jr.)]
