Like many in these homebound times, I’ve been trying to chip away at some long-delayed projects. It’s not purely practical or productive – it’s also a way to feel some sense of normal, some sense of progress, in a time when neither of those things is so easy to come by. It’s a way to feel caring and rooted in place, instead of confined.

So imagine my satisfaction when I took out an old-fashioned hoe and started clearing away an overgrown pathway in my garden. The first stone was just a little covered-up, easy to restore. But before I knew it I was coming across pavers that had completely disappeared, unearthing huge markers that were just under the surface, yet totally forgotten. As I chipped away at the turf, sweat pouring from my forehead, I found myself wondering, how could I have forgotten this was here?

Friends, we spend much of our time rushing forward, assuming the paths we are following will always be clear. And then we spend the rest of our time inventing solutions for problems we have ourselves created. What if, before rushing to build a new path, we tended to the old one, revealing its foundation so that our extensions were worthwhile?

There are so many pathways that have already been built.

There is so much wisdom that has already been revealed. 

Right under our feet, just below the surface.

Let’s uncover some today.