When Wandering is Seeking
Straight.
Narrow.
Do not veer!
Photo by Waldemar Brandt on Unsplash
But I cannot feel my Mother
through the rigid asphalt.
She is soft,
colorful
inviting.
And forgiving when I stumble.
Must I stay on the covenant path?
Can I walk barefoot on the grass next to it?
Can I cut across the meadow?
And listen to the flowers and insects
lift their song of praise?
They mock me.
The ones on that straight and narrow
sidewalk.
They claim I must be ashamed
and assume I can no longer
taste the fruit.
But my Mother’s love is there!
In the dew that wets my feet
as I step onto the moss.
I feel her love
as I clamber over
tree roots and fallen limbs.
It is here in the
messy wilderness
And I am prone to wander
Seeking to feel her.
No bricks
or concrete
between us
Just the sweet earth,
Catching me each time
I fall.
Thanks for writing my truth
This is beautiful.
Someone once pointed out to me the difference between straight (which means without bend) and strait (which means narrow or constricted, think Strait of Magellan). The KJV of Matthew 7:14 uses strait:
“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
A deer path could be a strait and narrow way 🙂
I am prone to wander. Truly lovely.
beautiful
Beautiful- thank you!
This brings peace to my soul. Thank you.
What a lovely image!
Thank you for sharing this!
The ancient Hebrew people were nomadic and saw life as a journey to Zion (consider all the references to “walking with God” and the importance of sturdy legs throughout the scriptures).
Commandments weren’t arbitrary rules, but rather (more literally translated) landmarks. There was no set road, there were just landmarks to help you navigate. Your (Heavenly) parents didn’t get upset when you went and picked a flower- they warned you of the dangers of going past the landmarks and were there, hands outstretched, to help you come back IF you lost your way. The danger lies in hidden “snakes” and other things that lie in wait amid tall grasses that haven’t been trampled into a path. Your older brother was sent to find you but you didn’t want to come back bc the proof of your waywardness could be seen in the snakebites on your legs. So your older brother “covered” (which is the more literal translation of ‘forgive’) the bites for you- so neither you nor anyone else could be distracted by them. Shame and guilt have no place on this journey. Just love and joy.
Gorgeous, Tirza. I too feel held by Mother Earth when I fall.