Watering My Soul

Scott Walker tells the story of purchasing his favorite flowering plant, the hibiscus. He bought it during the summer, placed it on his patio, and without any effort on his part, it was nurtured by rain and his sprinkler system. It grew rapidly, and was lush with rich green leaves and bright trumpet blossoms.

Brought into his sunny breakfast room to protect it from the cold in the winter, the hibiscus was not automatically water. Scott forgot to water it and soon the hibiscus wilted, its leaves yellowed, and it was falling to the floor. He was ready to toss it into the garbage can, but as he passed the kitchen sink, he decided to try watering the hibiscus to give it one last chance. Soon the water brought the plant back to a flourishing life.

Scott recounts “This morning, as I sat at the breakfast table and looked at the hibiscus, it occurred to me that when I haven’t attended to my spiritual life, it begins to wilt and wither, and only prayer can bring back its vitality and rekindle its hope. If, in the midst of winter, I’ve allowed the frost to touch my soul, I cannot wait one more day to water it with prayer.”

How true Scott’s lesson is. I must nourish and tend to my soul regularly. It takes conscious effort on my part - it cannot be automatically fed and no one else can do it. When I take time to nurture my spirit through practice of prayer, meditation, reading, and helping others, I thrive and my life gets better and better.

Taking Care

I’m grateful that when I felt myself starting to lose my peace this afternoon, I took a time out. This is a loving action on my part, and my soul was thrilled... after all, the break was to nourish my spirit and connect more finely with God.

I read some spiritual literature, words by Emmet Fox, and was caught by the affirmation “I am surrounded by the Love and Peace of God.” Repeating this over and over with my eyes closed, I relaxed. Fifteen minutes or so later, I felt refreshed and ready to move forward in my work.

I’ve learned many tools to make my day flow more easily and joyfully, but I don’t always employ them. The main reason is usually “I’m too busy.” But this is deadly, for without nourishing my soul and my relationship with God, I deteriorate mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically. And, life just ain’t fun (neither am I).

Dear Spirit –
Thank You for my knowledge of the many ways I can nurture my relationship with my soul and You, and for the willingness to take care and do so.