THE SOIL AND SOUL CONNECTION
by
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The Road
I live on what many call a dirt road. Many years ago it was surveyed as a division of land and cleared of forest. No doubt, for many years it was little more than a trail of mud, ruts and dust, but now the county maintains it and it is well graded and covered with gravel. This road really goes nowhere. It does not provide access to any industry, or is it a thoroughfare between cities, or even a short cut between busy places, it is just a short road with a few houses along it. Since it is not paved, it gets dusty in summertime, muddy in the spring, and sometimes gets a little rough. There have been times when winter snow has drifted it shut and since it is just a little country road, has kept us snowbound for several days. These features of my road would seldom be used as assets for my property, but I like my road.
Since my road doesn't go anywhere, it is sparsely traveled and that allows me to recognize almost every vehicle that uses it. Most of the traffic is neighbors and these neighbors will wave as they go by, and even stop and talk at times. Our neighborhood is not nosy, but we are well enough acquainted to be concerned about each other's welfare. We can help when needed, are on hand in emergencies, and can share concerns and pleasures. My road promotes good neighbors.
Traffic on my road is rather slow. I can walk across with no fear and it is very rare that I have to wait for any traffic to pass. Kids can ride bicycles and chase a ball safely. I can even take a walk down my road at night and not be noticed, with the possible exception of a neighbor's dog and I know all the dogs well enough to pet them. In a fast moving world, it is nice to live on a quiet and safe country road.
My road allows me to contact the rest of the world. I am not isolated. It is an access to towns and cities where I do my business, and buy my supplies. It makes possible for the mail and newspapers to come to my door and other deliveries to be made. My road allows me to contact friends and relatives and for them to visit me, it makes my business and social life convenient.
Most important, it is the way home and my home is a very special place. It is more than just the house I live in; it is the center of my life. It is not the place I go after work, but rather the place I leave to go to work, and there is a vast difference. It is where my family is, whether it is spouse or children or visiting children and grandchildren. It is where my family can have meals together, share the good and bad in life with one another, and laugh and tease and enjoy each other. It is where I can take off. my shoes and prop up my feet and wear clothes just because they are comfortable. It also reflects my tastes in its decoration and style. It extends beyond my house, because this is also where I can have gardens, and lawns, and trees, and flowers and have room to play and relax.
My old dirt road leads to the heart and center of my love. Over the years and at various times, I have had the opportunity to express, sometimes awkwardly or insufficiently, my love for my spouse and my offspring. The arms of a loving spouse, a hug from the little arms of a child, and other expressions of love are the things that put the greatest meaning in life. This is also the spot to share dreams, mend broken hearts, and conquer the everyday problems of life.
It's just an old dirt road, but it leads to the center of the greatest values on earth. A super highway may be an engineering masterpiece, but until it leads to such a destination as my old dirt road, it is but a monument to superficial values and those values are very limited.
Warning
The second part of this book requires a sort of warning. My contacts with the soil have inspired a lot of "cornfield philosophy" and with this, most people are very comfortable. It can be viewed as quaint colloquialism and passed off with a smile, with the notion that it is just a good lesson in living. It requires no change in attitudes or lifestyle and only suggests a little fine tuning in status quo, but there comes a time when the lessons in life exceed philosophy and become a sort of theology and this is very uncomfortable to many, therefore this warning.
As I have gotten my hands dirty and experienced that close contact with the good earth, mere earthly explanations of the millions of miracles that take place constantly are not enough. I see the hand of a Power that cannot be explained by science or philosophy and a master plan that coincidence will not explain. I have personally experienced the peace and serenity that simple faith provides and view as a terrible waste of time, talent and fortunes the effort spent on research devoted to an unimportant and non-provable ancient past. Aside from curiosity, the value of such studies is only entertainment and has little bearing on the problems of our troubled world or makes any contribution to personal happiness. On the other hand, just the acceptance of a Creator God seems a most logical explanation for all the miracles, which we usually just take for granted, for our existence, and for a definition of any purpose of life.
I would like to offer a theology devoid of details. Details are an individual's opportunity to personalize their faith and could lead to too much controversy rather than focusing on some basic truths. My theology is simple and its presentation is not intended to change or challenge other concepts, gather converts, or denounce other beliefs, but rather present the reasoning behind the faith that has allowed me such peace and serenity.
From all documented history, it is apparent that mankind became a civilized creature at a time roughly corresponding to the account in the Scriptures. Whatever he was before, or even if he was before, there was a time when he started to add knowledge to previous knowledge and to question his purpose in life and his relationship to his Creator. At such a time, acceptable conduct was established, and good and evil was recognized. History reveals that the knowledge that allowed mankind to build great empires also allowed him to do great evil and God sent some simple laws that have been the basis for all civilized behavior. No one has ever disputed that the world would be a much better place if these simple laws were strictly followed, but some inherent weaknesses seem to prevent such obedience. However you want to view Jesus Christ, He did explain those laws and offer a logical solution for a happy life on earth and an eternal reward for those who believe and obey.
The following chapters are based on the Scriptures and are in series of five. They are varied in nature and are intended to provoke your thinking. With all the information available in today's world, it is too easy to depend on the thinking of others and buy into their philosophies and theologies rather than just using their thinking as a stimulant for our own. Our thinking needs guidelines. We need to consider our historical heritage, have a concept of purpose for life, have an idea of the responsibilities that are ours, develop a sense of how we are to relate to our fellow man, and clarify our relationship with God.
My contact with the soil has inspired me to consider my soul. My soul is the real me. It is the part of me that is expressed in thought, reason, adventure, pleasure, excitement, and love. It is what puts us above all other creatures and carries that little portion of God that was shared with us at Eden. It is timeless and its care should take precedence over everything else. It is the key
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About the Book
A hundred years ago, most people in America lived on farms or in small towns. The farms were small by today’s standards and were tended by a family. These farms were to a great extent self-sufficient. They had hogs, cattle, and chickens for meat, milk, and eggs, a garden and some fruit trees. They raised hay and grain to feed the livestock and planned for some surplus of grain or produce to buy the things they couldn’t grow and to pay the taxes and mortgage. Horses, strong backs, and good neighbors powered these farms. The farm was more than a commercial venture; it was a lifestyle closely connected to the good earth.
The towns were the centers of trade for the surrounding area. They provided the things that could not be grown on the farm and provided a market for the surpluses raised on the farm. Other than the rural one-room schools, they were the centers for education and they were the social center for the surrounding area. The town and farms were mutually dependent on each other and they also shared a close connection to the good earth. This was rural America and the values that were basic to these farms and towns were what made America great.
Rural America inspired the American Dream. That dream included independence, freedom, and opportunity. It included a certain peace, serenity and satisfaction that came as a reward for honest effort. Contrary to today’s concept of that dream, it was of middle class proportions. It did not include continuous expansion, but rather of a farm that a family could manage, payoff a mortgage, and have a little to help the next generation. The merchants in those small towns did not dream of supermarkets and malls, but rather a business that would support a comfortable home and lifestyle. Both were content with comfort and security rather than great wealth and luxury.
Early rural America had a good work ethic. Most work was physically demanding and entailed a great deal of craftsmanship and society expected everyone to earn his keep. A certain amount of pride was the result of these expectations and laziness and poor workmanship were not acceptable.
A good work ethic included honesty and integrity and in a small close knit community, a good reputation was very important.
Rural America fostered strong family values. The whole family was needed to run the farm or business. These families worked together, ate together, and played together. As children, there were chores to do and responsibilities to be met. Meals required a great deal of preparation, so everyone ate at the same time. What today we label as entertainment was very scarce, so they played together in a spontaneous and unstructured way. There was the porch swing for summer evenings, board games and books for long winter evenings, and picnics for holidays. A strong family was almost necessary. Husbands needed good wives to maintain a good home. Wives needed good husbands to provide the physical strength needed on the farm or business. Children needed both parents to provide proper guidance and the necessities of life, because there were no institutions to do so, except as a last resort.
Rural America was religious. Much education was based on the Scriptures, Bibles were in almost every home and weddings and funerals were of a religious nature. In many cases, the church was the social center of a community and Sunday was regarded as a day of rest, worship, and family fun.
The influence of rural America was felt in the cities. Many in the cities had family roots in the country because parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles still lived on a farm. Because of the great numbers in rural America, it was even a powerful political bloc. The industries and commerce in the cities coveted the work ethic, which was a way of life on the farm. The rich soil and favorable climate of America allowed the farms to produce an abundance of food at a reasonable price, which allowed the middle class money available for a comfortable lifestyle.
Please understand that this description of rural America is prejudiced toward the positive. There were bad times down on the farm. There were times of bad weather and low prices. There was sickness, pain, injustice, sorrow, and death. Life, wherever it may be, includes all of these and, cruel as it may seem, such things are even necessary to form strong character. Bad times were a part of rural America but overcoming such obstacles only made it stronger. The value of any victory is determined by the strength of the opposition.
Sadly, we have lost much of our rural heritage. The ancestor on the farm is more often several generations removed. Even farms are specialized to the point they lack any resemblance to self-sufficiency. Transportation and communication has closely connected rural life to urban life and the American Dream has changed from independence, freedom, and comfort to ease, wealth, and luxury. We have lost our connection to the soil; even by many whom make their livelihood from the good earth. For these changes we suffer. Hopefully, the next few thoughts and experiences will be helpful in connecting us once again our very soul to our precious soil.
About the Author
In our fast moving and hurry up world, it is so easy to overlook the simple things. I have been blessed by a life in rural America on a farm. I have found that my everyday experiences on the farm contain many lessons that can make life most enjoyable and fulfilling. I have also found that these simple everyday adventures are closely connected to the journey of my soul. My hope is that these few simple stories will be used to wake some readers lifelong journey a more serene and happy adventure.