“Life is there.Stop! Don’t step on that soil. It’s full of life.”
We saw this sign continuous while exploring Arches National Park in southern Utah few weeks ago.
I peered at that dry tanned dirt and thought nothing is living there. Its stark bareness appeared lifeless and unproductive. How tempting it was to cut across the path over that ground. After all I couldn’t really see any evidence of life.
The photo above is a shot of what the ranger told us is a mature biological soil crust. Its surface may look just like dry dirt, but it contains lots of living organisms that are vital to the desert ecosystem.
In many desert climates, this type of crust makes up 70 percent of the ground cover and is vital for reducing erosion, increasing water retention and increasing soil fertility.
The main living creature there is called the cyanobacteria, one of the oldest known life forms. Other characters residing there are lichens, mosses, microfungi and green algae.
Most of the life stays on the top 1/8th inch of the soil, so even a small impact of a lightweight footprint has profound consequences. Under good conditions, a single footprint may take five years for the crust to fully recover.
Looking at this dry desert soil gives me hope. Often situations in life appear dead, hopeless and beyond repair. Though my eyes show me and my mind tells me there is nothing alive, God can restore, even resurrect the broken and barren.
Reminds me of Ezekiel:
God grabbed me. God’s Spirit took me up and set me down in the middle of an open plain strewn with bones. He led me around and among them—a lot of bones! There were bones all over the plain—dry bones, bleached by the sun.
He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Master God, only you know that.” He said to me, “Prophesy over these bones: ‘Dry bones, listen to the Message of God!’”
God, the Master, told the dry bones, “Watch this: I’m bringing the breath of life to you and you’ll come to life. I’ll attach sinews to you, put meat on your bones, cover you with skin, and breathe life into you. You’ll come alive and you’ll realize that I am God!”I prophesied just as I’d been commanded. As I prophesied, there was a sound and, oh, rustling! The bones moved and came together, bone to bone. I kept watching. Sinews formed, then muscles on the bones, then skin stretched over them.
Who would have ever guess I would learn a vital lesson looking at dry lifeless dirt? The majestic views of Arches National Park and its towering rocky sculptures had my attention at first. But God quietly refocused me on a basic lesson about ground – Be grounded in Him and life will appear. In fact what looks lifeless for us, with God is full of life.
How about you? Where do you see life? Ever been surprised by a road sign or unexpected glimpse into God’s grace and love?
love to you too Mia. I just love reading your comments. Blessings!
Thanks Lynn. I was amazed at the facts about this appearing dead but living soil. amazing isn’t it?
Living metaphors – what a neat phrase, Dolly. I just knew when I read about this soil that there was a lesson there for us.
What a neat story you shared, Nancy. I just love it when God surprises us. I just knew when I read that sign and learned about this type of soil that it was a post for this blog. Another gift from God! Have a terrific weekend
Isn’t it amazing how God can take dry soil and breathe life into our spirits. Not only at Creation, but whenever we turn our ear to hear. Blessings to you Jean, and thanks for sharing such a timely word in my life.
Dear Jean
Without being grounded in the good ground of our Lord Jesus’ life, we will also just be a heap of dry, lifeless bones.
Much love xx
What a great message, Jean! Incredible about the *depression* and recovery! Never knew that. Thanks!
Jean,
This is so awesome & encouraging…love those living metaphors 🙂
Oh, Jean, this post spoke such encouragement into my heart. And that last paragraph is going in my quote collection!
My example of a glimpse of God’s grace and love: I was going through a tough time–no end in sight. One morning, as I started my quiet time, I opened my Bible first instead of the study guide. “How silly!” I thought. “You don’t even know what today’s reading is yet!” Imagine my surprise when I discovered my Bible WAS opened to the first reading: John 13:7. In fact, the verse was at the top of the page! It seemed God was giving me a special message: “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” WOW!!! I wish I could say from that day forward I never struggled with discouragement. It wouldn’t be true. But the dips into despair were neither deep nor long-lasting. That special verse, revealed in a special way, helped me greatly. Praise God for his love, grace, and compassion!