A week ago this past Saturday, we were pounding the pavement in New York City — a couple of Mississippi tourists in awe of sights and sounds uncommon to us.

At home, we live in a rural area. Less than a mile from our house, we can appreciate the beauty of blooming cotton fields. Our home is nestled in a wooded area, surrounded by nature.

Not so in New York City. Unless you are on the waterfront or deep inside Central or Prospect parks, you are surrounded by concrete – and people. Lots and lots of people speaking more languages than I knew existed.

It was a wonderful vacation, and we created great memories. However, returning home required a type of therapy to restore my equilibrium. Not a conversation with a therapist. Not even a ride on my motorcycle. I needed one of nature’s oldest therapies:
the therapy of dirt; as in garden dirt. And that’s what I did.

Since returning, I’ve spent a good portion of a Friday emptying my compost and spreading it in my raised bed garden spots. I added other bags of fresh soil, and all the while, the therapeutic nature of dirt worked its magic, getting under my fingernails and staining the skin of my hands.

As a teenager, I thought our dad was harsh for making my siblings and me work in the yard, especially in the garden. I hated using a tiller to break up the ground. I despised digging potatoes, hoeing weeds, and picking beans and okra. I certainly didn’t mind eating what was produced, but toiling under the hot summer sun was not enjoyable.

It’s funny how your perspective changes as you get older. At this stage of life, I want a tiller of my own. I need dirt. I need roots growing deep. I need plants producing. I need to pick my green beans. I need that connection to my upbringing. I need the therapy of dirt.

I’m incredibly thankful to get my hands dirty — both in the soil and in doing the Lord’s work. There is beauty and symmetry in witnessing the fruits of your labor.

What unasked-for advice might I give? Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty — in the soil or with people who need your help!

“Sow righteousness for yourselves and reap faithful love; break up your  unplowed ground.  It is time to seek the Lord until he comes and sends  righteousness on you like the rain. ” (Hosea‬ 10:12)

Les Ferguson Jr. grew up in Vicksburg and is a 1980 graduate of Warren Central High School. He holds a B.A. in Bible from Magnolia Bible College and an M.A. in New Testament Preaching from Johnson University. He lives and ministers in Oxford, Mississippi and is the author of “Still Wrestling—Faith Renewed through Brokenness.” He can be reached at lfergusonjr@gmail.com.