Walking in the Fields

Feet on the ground.

My feet are on the ground, and it’s a moment where I wish they weren’t. The perspective from right here sucks. I see you all plowing, planting, and fertilizing the soil under your own feet, and I don’t know what kind of fruit you’re looking to produce.

I don’t even know what kind of fruit I want to produce, either.

I’m not a gardener. I basically buy plants I like and plant them, most often hoping for the best. The literal planting and fertilizing is easy. The waiting is annoying, but I also have other things to do, so I don’t sit around waiting for a plant to grow and bloom. The figurative planting and fertilizing in our spiritual lives is similar yet miles apart from the literal. It takes a lot more than good fortune and a nice plant from the store.

We all have feet on the ground, soil under our feet, and seeds in our hands. But oh my dear friends, we’re really bad at planting good plants and bearing good fruit.

We’ve got feet on the ground, and we’re tearing through other people’s fields. We think we know everything, don’t we? I mean, I think I know a lot. But I’m not old enough to know the half of it. I’m not wise enough to discern what’s right and wrong every time. I’m not even guaranteed that my thoughts align with anything the Bible says.

Feet on the ground means we all have work to do.

And isn’t it like us to look at each other’s work and pout? Isn’t it like us to see the fruit of others and wonder why ours looks nothing like that? Isn’t it like us to forget we’ve got our dang feet on the ground when the ground we’re standing on is not the soil we wanted?

I wonder what’s in us that thinks we know best. I wonder who told us or me or you that whatever opinion or value we adhere to is worth demolishing another’s field for the sake of being right.

I mean, your feet are on the ground, aren’t they? Or are they wandering into other fields where they simply don’t belong?

I often think to myself, “Head down, eyes up.” Head down, Janelle. They’ve got a work, and you’ve got a work. They’ve got an opinion, you’ve got an opinion. Remind yourself Who your focus is on. Is the work in their field made up of your soil? Is the work under their feet under your feet, too? Is the trip to stand your ground on their ground anything righteous at all?

Eyes up. Don’t look down. Don’t miss it. There’s an entire world in front of you, and you’ve got a Spirit of love in your soul. See it. Give it away like air because it’s plentiful. Remember to keep looking up, keep remembering Who loved you first. Work the field you’ve got and praise a good God that you get to be here to do it.

I don’t know what you’re building or what kind of fruit you want coming from the field. But it’s not going to make a world of difference if you’re growing something only to destroy someone else’s. I’m guilty. I’d challenge you to think again if you think you aren’t.

Love walks the fields and asks questions and asks to help and isn’t going to condemn another for doing what seems different. Love isn’t like that. If it is, I don’t know what kind of love that is.

Feet on the ground. Feet on your ground.

Walk the fields. Work with what you have. Head down, eyes up. Love at every turn.