And where does the water go? Where does the water go that stands like a lake in a farmer’s field with no river nearby? The obvious answer is that it is pulled into the ground, saturates the soil and eventually finds its way to the water table running beneath the ground. Nature’s earth absorbs the flooding from nature’s sky. She stands ready to do what we cannot. She draws into herself the torrents of life to protect the life around her. She holds these same torrents safe for when there is no rain so life can continue to grow. She is both a rock and a sponge.
But what of the earth weary and worn from the demands and stresses human life have placed upon her? What of the earth over worked, unreplenished and stripped of her ability to give and absorb without a single complaint or need to be noticed? When the natural rhythm of life occurs -and rains and rivers will flood- who takes care of the earth? Where does the water go then?
Dear keeper of my heart and breath may our hearts be cupped around this earth wherein our roots grow deep. May our eyes see with softness her needs. May our heads bow in honor of the dignity she holds. May our hands slip quietly into her soil which has given us birth and feel the strength that is still there. May our hands feel her grit beneath our nails and embedded in our knees as we kneel. May our eyes listen to the voice of one who never asks to speak. And in our sitting, our simply being, may we both draw and dam the waters flooding her surface, holding them until she is ready to drink.
Where does the water go and how long will it take? The flooding will flow along that timeless sacred river where we learn to say thank you and recognize her constant presence and giving. And as for the time, I’ve never met an acorn, a leaf, a tree, or a clod of dirt that wore a watch or had a calendar. Besides, one should never rush a thank you and she has waited a long time.
