Jesus rubbed dirt in his hands, after spitting into it, he placed the mud on a blind man’s eyes. (John 9) This dirt made the blind man see. Impossible!

Maybe we too quickly discard the dirt that could heal us. We sweep away the unwanted, shake away the useless dust, and throw away the filth. Eventually, we learn that death becomes life.

What if we picked up the dirt, gathered it all, held it close, worked it with our hands and our hearts, pouring out sweat and tears upon it? I wonder if the ashes of our suffering make us whole.