Living in the earth

The phrase “I do not live on the earth but in it” jumped out at me one morning last week during my quiet time. Many people say they feel closet to the Divine out in nature, not in a manmade sanctuary. They find forests calming, comforting and connecting. While some feel insignificant, isolated and anxious when standing on a beach looking at the vastness of the ocean, I tap into the rhythm of the ancient tide. Time in an arboretum or on a dune lowers my blood pressure and feeds my soul.

Living ‘in’ the earth means we are grounded. Grounded, we are more secure. We have a sense of place. When I look around that place, I can see there are others – YOU – right next to me. By being in the earth, not just on it or of it, I am not alone. Sure, you and I and all the others there with us may be looking in different directions, but that’s part of what makes our days interesting. It doesn’t matter if you are an atheist, agnostic, seeker or believer of any kind. We have a commonality by being planted in, not just on this natural world. Our interpretations of all of it will vary, but we start by knowing we are a part of something. It is our communion. And, living ‘in’ the earth while ‘on’ it also better prepares me for the transition to when that will actually be true again, when my ashes are scattered. While that truth is jarring, in an odd way is it also reassuring.

There are so many times in our lives when we feel afloat, when we are in an ‘in-between’ place. I hope the next time I recognize that feeling in myself that I’ll also remember this new perspective. This simple shift of one word, from ‘on’ to ‘in,’ can help me understand that I’m simply in a time of transplant and my feet will end up in a whole new exciting spot in the earth. Wonder who’ll be next to me there?

Marilyn