What city kids don't know

Today's post is based on the section entitled "Dormancy" from the chapter on "Rest".



I grew up in the middle of corn fields. There it was not uncommon in my hometown to find yourself at a downtown stop light behind a turkey truck. Farming was a major component of life where I grew up. And everybody had a garden. My grandparents had an absolutely huge garden. They grew everything from tomatoes to turnips, and rhubarb to raspberries.



There's something you know when your life is tied so closely to the land. It's something that city kids don't know: dormancy is necessary. It's vital and important. It's part of the cycle of life. When you grow up in time to the rhythm of creation, you know this early on.



Jeff was from the Indianapolis suburbs. He had always lived surrounded by concrete and buildings. Yes, he had a yard and trees and such, but you could take 15 steps from his front porch and spit on the freeway. Jeff was a city kid. One night at camp, around dusk, he and I took a walk. All of a sudden, he stopped. Wide-eyed, he looked at the flowers in the field in front of us which were starting to close. He asked in a sort of panicky way, "What's wrong with them? Are they dieing?" He had never seen flowers close up at night.



When we don't see rest reflected in nature, then it's no wonder we think it unnatural. It is, however, on of the most natural things we can do.



What other Sabbath lessons have you learned from the natural world?