Whenever I am overwhelmed by the constant sight of the hundreds of thousands of people fleeing vicious militias, I go buy some dirt. That is one of my favorite options. It is too much to take in seeing pictures of people traveling barefoot across deserts, oceans, mountains and seas. They are hungry, scared and wearing threadbare clothing. They have been chased from their homes because to stay behind would mean more rape, torture and beheadings. Starvation is constant because even when they have the option of planting in the blood stained mine fields they used to call their farms, there is no time to harvest. No matter how rich their dirt may have been before the war, gardening, farming is not an option.
So rather than continue to focus on their misery, I go buy some dirt. I shop with discernment. I am careful to pick out the best kind of dirt. It must have the nutrients and moisture included in a well-sealed, attractively designed bag. It must not be too heavy for me to carry because, after all, I don’t want to work. This is supposed to be fun.
I then choose the seedlings and a nice part of the backyard to plant my vegetables and my mood is better. I don’t have to worry about mines, dead bodies of mass graves. If my plants don’t come to harvest because the summer sun is too hot, or if I forget to water them, I can just go to my freezer or even easier to the supermarket a few minutes away. Buying dirt is a nice hobby for me.
I suggest the next time you feel overwhelmed about the news of refugees, genocide, mass starvation and all the other bad stuff going on….., go buy some dirt. You may feel a whole lot better.
Proverbs 21:13 “Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.” King James Version (KJV)