Blessed Soil

Over the past three years, I started collecting dirt. This collection started when I traveled to Cameroon, Africa, for a short-term missions trip in 2006. We traveled in July, which is the rainy season, so mud caked on my shoes. My shoes collected the red soil from the African continent as a by-product from walking and sharing the Gospel of Christ.

Upon arriving home, I noticed the soiled shoes when I unpacked my luggage. I kept the shoes like that for two years. Then I realized that when I traveled other places I unconsciously brought back some part of the earth. From the mountains of New Mexico, I collected pine cones (and even if I can’t physically go to New Mexico, my dear friend will send pine cones to me). When my youngest son played baseball on an international baseball team in Puerto Rico, I returned with dirt from the field where he played. 

I collect dirt, rocks, and pine cones for sentimental reasons; it is my way of holding on to special memories. I realize that I am probably one of a very few people who may actually collect soil, because people tend to collect more conventional souvenirs such as angels, dolls, bears, etc. But I am comforted by the fact that the Bible describes a man taking soil back to his home after he was blessed by God.

Naaman, a leper and commander of the army of the king of Syria, sought out healing from the prophet, Elisha (2 Kings 5:1-27). He traveled to see Elisha in Israel and when he arrived, Elisha would not even come to the door to greet him. Elisha sent a messenger to say, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:11, ESV).

Upon receiving this simple instruction, Naaman was angry because he expected more of a show. Elisha could have at least made an appearance, waved his hands, and called upon the name of the Lord! So, because of his expectation, Naaman left Elisha’s place in quite a tizzy. As he turned to head home, his servants convinced him to at least try the prophet’s method before leaving the land.

Naaman went to the river, dipped seven times and on the last time his flesh was restored, just as Elisha said it would be. At this point, Naaman returned to Elisha. He stood before Elisha to acknowledge that Elisha’s God was the true God. The healed leper then offered Elisha compensation, but the prophet refused. Then Naaman made an unusual request—he asked for all the dirt that two mules could carry.

Then Naaman said, "If not, please let there be given to your servant two mules’ load of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter." He said to him, "Go in peace." (2 Kings 5:17-19, ESV)

Naaman received a miracle from the one and only true God. He cherished this life changing moment. He was blessed by the Lord, therefore, he wanted to take back the holy soil from the land of Israel to Syria to remember God. Naaman lived in a land that worshiped gods other than the Lord. He did not want to forget the One who healed him. Elisha blessed Naaman by allowing him to return with the dirt.

Sometimes, we need a reminder of what the Lord has done for us. Like Naaman, we live in a world that does not always acknowledge the Living God. We may not bow down to Rimmon, but we certainly have many other distractions that can become idols in our lives to distract us. Like Naaman, we need to carry the soil with us in our land.

The soil is where the seed is planted. In order to grow, the seed must be planted in good soil; tainted soil kills the seed. In Scripture, the seed represents the Word of God. In Mark 4, Jesus told the parable of the sower who sowed the seed. In this text, there are four types of soil—the path where the birds ate up the seed, the rocky ground where the plants sprung up quickly yet dried up from the sun, the thorns where the plants were chocked out, and the good soil where the seed “produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold” (Mark 4:8, ESV).

Our good memories of what the Lord has done for us can represent our good soil. Then daily we plant the Word of God in our hearts and minds where we treasure His goodness and faithfulness.

To live Totally Transplanted lives, we can treasure the goodness of God’s faithfulness by keeping the soil as a reminder. Those reminders become the good soil in which we plant the Seed—the Word of God. Then we can bear fruit, thirty, sixty and even one-hundred fold. Like Naaman, keep the blessed soil!

© 2009 Shonda Savage Whitworth