Time to
Replenish
“The
soul was not meant to run on empty. But the soul doesn't come with a
gauge. The indicators of soul fatigue are more subtle.”
John
Ortberg (Soul Keeping: Caring for the Most Important Part of You)
How do we know when we
have soul fatigue? When we feel like a rusty bucket with a hole in
the bottom. When everything and everybody on earth irritates the living daylights out of us. When we look at our spouse/significant other and
wonder what we ever saw in them. When we want to eat or drink or
binge shop for no reason. When we crave something, but nothing seems
to fill the need. When we make really bad decisions. When we yell at
the kids, or the dog, or the wait-staff over inconsequential
mistakes. When we are demanding brats. When we just want to slap someone. When we feel anxious and
afraid even when we are safe and comfortable. Do any of those sound
familiar?
Many of us are so spent
and worn out in our souls that we see each day, not as a gift, but as
a colossal pain in the...whatever. We get that way from constant
doing and relentless giving without replenishing. Someone bragged to me
recently, “I just give and give and give; I never stop giving.”
That sounds like a righteous thing, right? But unless you are mainlining something strong, or the angels themselves are tending to
you, what you end up with is a spent shell, an empty well, a dried
out husk of a human being. How does that help
anyone? Even Jesus took breaks and, God knows, we aren't Jesus!
Just like your car's gas
tank needs to be refilled every now and then, so does your soul. In
fact, it needs regular attention—prayer, meditation, inspired
reading or listening, walks in nature, time alone, creative outlets,
silence. Replenishing the soul requires communicating with Spirit in
whatever form Spirit speaks most clearly to you. Take time to replenish today. The people around you will appreciate it.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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