A Short Cut to Mushrooms

 Have you seen Lord of the Rings? I know I have. Multiple times. In fact, I’ve read the books too…and listened to the soundtracks…and played the piano music…

 

Yes, I suppose I’m a bit of a nerd that way. When I was in sixth grade I wished I could be an elf. I was so in love with those stories that I dreamed of escaping into the magical land of Middle Earth. I’ve always been that way. Always loved slipping off to Narnia, Hogwarts, Prydain, the middle ages, England, distance planets, Neverland, ancient Greece, the future, the wild west and so many other places. I’ve always found pleasure in escaping into a book.

For that reason Lord of the Rings has always had a special place in my heart, and I have been known to take messages from it in great seriousness. I did a whole lesson in my fellowship of Christian athletes that revolved around a speech by Sam in the movie. However, I never thought I’d find meaning in…mushrooms.

I absolutely adore the segment of the movie titled “A Short Cut to Mushrooms”. The four hobbits tumble down a hill while running from an angry farmer and end up falling straight into a patch of wild mushrooms, which delights the hobbits who of course love all things food. It’s a funny scene, followed by an intense and somewhat scary encounter with a black rider.

In the book things are different though. In the 4^th chapter Short Cut to Mushrooms the four hobbits are walking through the woods when they hear some frightening noises. They run towards Farmer Maggots field, even though they are scared because they had stolen mushrooms from the farmer before. In spite of their past theft the farmer helps them and sends them on their way, with a basket of fresh mushrooms.

So what’s the point of this? Well, I suppose for me it’s that the hobbits can find help even in someone they thought would be angry with them. They receive forgiveness and kindness in place of scolding. It’s just what they need at the time. The mushrooms bless them on the journey they must make to the Prancing Pony.

I would say it’s just an interesting story…til I got blessed with mushrooms.

It had been a crazy day. I almost missed a test sleeping in, and got lucky when my roommate returned for me upon noticing I wasn’t in class. I got through the class fairly well and proceeded through another three classes, nearly falling asleep towards the end. I was worn out physically, mentally and spiritually. After listening to lectures on biology and literature and working hard in the gym I was ready to sleep. But I still had biology lab to get to.

Forty minutes. I had forty minutes til I had to go to class. I could have spent it sleeping, but instead I printed out my lab sheet and looked it over. On the back I noticed a small space for a teacher’s assistant to sign. Beside the space it read

“4 points extra credit: bring a fungus or mold into class”.

 

I stared at it. I needed extra credit. Biology was one of my worst subjects, and I wanted to guarantee a B in the class so I could skip the final exam. Four points certainly wasn’t bad. So with a heavy sigh I slipped my rain jacket on, grabbed a Girl Scout cookie to sustain me and headed outside.

My father has trained me well in areas of natural science. As children my brother and I could easily distinguish between different types of bugs (stoneflies, mayflies etc.), helped along by our fly-fisherman dad. We went camping a good bit, so I had some knowledge of natural things. I knew mushrooms liked the damp, and that they also liked rotting things, because they are decomposers. So I headed towards the canyon (a small dip in the middle of our campus where a creek runs and lots of trees grow). Hoping no one would think I was weird walking along staring at the ground I slipped off down a small gravel trail.

I kept my eyes peeled, looking for white or brown caps, staring at the forest floor especially right around the trees. I dug under some of the weight leaves, but I was seeing nothing. I seriously wished I had a truffle hog or hound at one point…that would have gotten me credit. I even began wishing I’d looked at the extra credit sooner so I could have just let something mold in my room. But alas I was stuck hunting for mushrooms out amongst the trees.

As I walked I began to find myself relaxing a little. The business of the week had exhausted me, but amongst the trees, listening to the rush of the creek, I started to ease up. I took some joy in the beauty around me, admiring the green leaves and the simple smell of earth. I knew I should go to the canyon more often. It was refreshing.

I’m a hopeless romantic…in two senses. One I am a sucker for a good love story, and two I have a natural tendency to follow romantic styles, in music, in literature, in art. It’s my favorite era really and I’m lucky to have it as my subject for literature at the moment. One of the biggest things about the romantic era is the focus on nature, giving it an almost spiritual feeling. I admit I sometimes feel most alive when I get away from people and wander into the woods. Part of it is my youthful imagination. I see myself in a forest with Legolas and Aragorn, or traveling to the Stone Table with Lucy and Peter. There’s something magical about it, but also something deeply spiritual. I feel more in touch with God. I feel more alive and vibrant, and something in me wants to sing songs of praise to Him. I escape from my life, much like I do when I open a good book…but this time I truly think, I truly feel… I truly am. 

 

I began to pray as I walked along murmuring to God that I really would like to find a mushroom, because I could use the extra credit. I admitted to Him that it was a silly request, but I trusted Him to provide me as He saw fit.

I began to despair after a while. I glanced at my clock and saw that twenty minutes had passed since I actually left the dorm. I had class in ten minutes and needed to head back. Disappointed I turned to go. As I walked along I saw a place filled with a few rotting logs. I knew it was a good place for mushrooms, so I decided to try one last time. I walked off the trail into the area with the logs and looked around. Nothing. I turned back, sighing and came face to face with the most miraculous thing.

The log I’d passed had seemed normal, and from my original view it was. But getting off the trail I found myself staring at thousands of small fungus sprouting out of the wood.

Needless to say I had tears in my eyes as I uttered thanks to God. He didn’t even give me one mushroom as I’d asked. He gave me hundreds. I grabbed three small pieces and headed back to the trail, shaking my head. As I walked back I thought of Lord of the Rings and the short cut to mushrooms. God blessed me. Just as He blessed Frodo and Sam and Merry and Pippin with mushrooms. He didn’t have to. It was a very simple request, but He did. He blessed me. He showed me that He could do so even in the little things. Frodo likely wouldn’t have thought the mushrooms a very big deal looking back from the end of his journey. Compared to escaping Mordor alive it was minor, but it still was a blessing. So is it for me. God has delivered me from pain and hurt, but today He showed himself in His creation, blessing me with a simple little fungus. That is how great He is.

So the next time you’re walking through the woods, consider…God can work even in the smallest things…He can take that tiny prayer for a mushroom and turn it into a log covered in fungi. How will you let Him bless your life today? Search for Him in the little things, and that is often where you will see Him most.