eating dirt

Rico eats everything.  I mean everything.  I'm not at all worried because his curiosity to eat strange things appears to be just that--a passing and delightful fancy.  He goes from pouncing on a leaf flitting across the yard, to munching on mulch, plastic, paper, clothing, shoes.  He would even nab his own shadow if he could catch it...oh the delights of having a puppy!  

Sometimes he burrows deep into the soft spring ground with his cold little nose and comes up with a mouthful of dirt.  Whoosh.  

​This reminds me of the time one of my dearest friends asked me if I wanted to eat dirt.  She said, "You know you're going down to the "pit" with your thinking.  You are complaining, groveling, feeling sorry for yourself.  I just want you to know where you are headed. You can eat dirt, if you'd like.   Do you want me to go with you?"

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​Talk about a show stopper, a first-class party pooper. 
[I love my friend!]

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This conversation marked a pivotal moment for me in my life and opened the door for me to begin thinking about my thought life.  Her question suggested that I had a choice about what I was "chewing" on. 

At that time, I actually preferred to have a bit of a victim mentality.  I mean, I was working so hard,  was doing everything right, was putting up with untold junk, was just scraping by while deserving sooooooo much  better....blah, blah, blah, dirt-out-the-nose BLAH.

Over the last several years and with God right by my side, I have been untangling a nasty web of toxic thinking and toxic roots that had infiltrated my mind and heart.  

And boy, can I tell you that there is HOPE!  

Taking thoughts captive is an ongoing practice, and if we work really hard at it, we will see results in our attitude and behavior.  We really can change our outlook and our brains and our actions if we really want to. 

The good news is that when we choose to think and behave differently, it not only benefits us personally, but it also helps those around us.  Walking in inner joy and peace is just around the corner.

You know, sometimes I call that friend, and I say to her, "Okay, girlfriend.  I need to eat a little dirt. I'm heading to the pit.  Wanna come?"  She says, "Sure, I have about 5 minutes."  We kinda laugh at that, but there is an edge of mmmm maybe not.  After all, is there really any benefit in going there?

Nowadays, I don't feel the urge to eat so much dirt.  Daily, I aim to

• rely on the Holy Spirit who is my Comforter, 
• yoke myself to Jesus who knows and can relate to every feeling and emotion that I might have, and
• trust my Heavenly Father who invites me to work in His vineyard in a relationship with Him as His child, His heir.  In that vineyard there is unlimited provision, health, love, and hope.   

​Dirt seems a lot less appetizing when I "come to the table" with  God.  I feel so incredibly grateful to know Him, and  I sure hope you know Him, too.

We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ...
2 Cor. 10:5