This mantra of Dwelling in the Dirt came to me around mid January. As I was reflecting on the journey it has been in returning back home and now standing in the midst of my dreams, I am constantly at a tension with where I hope to be next. But as Coach Prime, Deion Sanders, puts it "be where your feet are at".
I've been home since May '22 when I finished school and it truly has exceeded expectation. My hesitancy in coming home was because I honestly felt like other places could offer me more. My theology was flawed. I realized I was therefore saying that I believe God can provide for me anywhere but home. I was wrong. That's a more lengthier story for another day but to put things plain, it took a lot to get back home. Now with my full time profession, I have a tremendous opportunity to build something in the workplace but also in my own life as a young adult. I feel God saying that in order for me to allow you to flourish in this season, I need you to embrace where you are and trust where I have planted you. It is in this dwelling that our seed [whether it be a vision for ourself or any infant idea and conception] can be properly nurtured and our roots can be established. I do not merely want to exist in passivity, but I want to live consciously and openly in this dirt.
Heideger in his book, Poetry, Language, Thought has a chapter on Building Dwelling Thinking. Here he raises attention to the Gothic wunian, which means "to be at peace, to be brought to peace, and to remain in peace." Further he asserts that the word for peace, Friede, the free, means to be "preserved from harm and danger, preserved from something, safeguarded".
"The fundamental character of dwelling is the sparing and preserving".
On day 2 of this fast I have felt much lighter. Clarity is ever evolving but with this language I'm learning to be more intentional about my effort to preserve. When I meet with my students, I hope to preserve hope. When I call a friend, I hope to preserve the relationship we've built. When I write, I preserve thought and case it for the reflective pleasure of myself as well as whoever may be led to engage. This ability to be free and to free others with our words is such a divine and good gift. I'm thankful for all God has spared me from and I am thankful for how he's preserving me in this season so that I may have hopeful longevity and integrity.
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