Dirt Track
Ben Smith of Tootgarook, Victoria, Australia
I love the Lord, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. -Psalm 116:1-2, 5
As we walked along the dirt track, we got to a section which was sheltered by coastal tea trees. Pointing at her sandal, I knew she likely had a stone in her shoe. Bending down, I took the sandal off and emptied it of all the gravel road it had gained. She pointed to the other sandal. Her hand on my shoulder to balance, I removed the second shoe, and immediately she forced her toes into the earth, twisting and turning to make sure the sand got between her toes.
I knew there was no chance of getting those shoes back on, so I stood up and began to walk back up the track. She stopped me. Thinking she’d want to simply play for a while longer I obliged and looked back. Smiling, she pointed at my shoes, a silent gesture for me to join her in that moment of connection with the earth. So many thoughts crossed my mind in that moment. My feet will get dirty. There are stones, and it will likely be painful if I step on one. We need to go soon! Yet without a word, her smile and her invitation said only one thing: “So? It feels good!”
How could I resist? I took my shoes off and with them went my tense shoulders and absent mind. We walked hand in hand down that track, stomping the ground like giants and laughing all the way.
Sometimes we make life so complicated, and I find that I make discipleship a 30-step recipe of challenging ingredients. Often, though, when I bring myself into a moment like this, I experience the love of God.
My lesson that day was to forget the agenda, put the thinking aside, and feel what’s right. The way of the peaceful One is the way of our hearts. When we remove our shoes, or all the things they represent, we dismantle the obstacles we put in the way of experiencing the Spirit of God.
Prayer Phrase
Are we moving toward Jesus, the peaceful One?
Spiritual Practice
Gospel Contemplation (Mark 11:1-11)
Each week during Lent, you are invited to pray with a different gospel story from the life of Christ. Use your senses and imagination to enter the text. Allow it to come to life in you, observing details, noticing interactions, even engaging in dialogue. Notice where you find yourself in the story and how you feel about what is happening. Notice what it evokes in you or invites of you. Take time to journal or enter silent prayer to reflect on your experience and to sense where the Spirit may be leading you through this scriptural encounter.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.
