Soul Care

Are you taking care of yourself?

Are you taking care of your soul?

It seems everyone is on edge now a days. Our boiling point is just beneath the surface or already bubbling over.

I suppose with all that is happening in our country, it is no wonder our emotions are maxed out.

A Pandemic

Senseless killings

Injustice acts by those in authority

Numerous protests

Riots and looting

Mistrust of science and health officials

The decisions to open or not open schools for in person learning

And yes, a revved up political season that thrives on negative advertising and bold face lies.

No wonder we’re at our boiling point!

When Leigh Anne and I returned home from a day trip recently, we came to the four way stop sign outside our subdivision.  I stopped and noticed a bright red pickup truck approaching on the road to my right.  I waited for him to stop so that I could then proceed across the street in front of him and enter my subdivision.  To my shock, he did not stop at the stop sign facing him at the intersection.  He continued forward with his window rolled down and wagged his finger at me as he turned left in front of me… as if to say, I don’t give a rip about that stop sign and just what are you going to do about it.

Immediately, I felt a surge of anger within me that wanted to take a sledgehammer to his red Ford 350.

Over the next few days, I thought about that man.  What makes a person think that stop signs do not pertain to him?  I wondered what would have happened if I had assumed he was going to come to a full stop, and had gone ahead and pulled across the road.

But then I examined my own thoughts and emotions.

I realized that I have the same emotional responses when I hear the lies and narcissistic responses from political leaders; when I see the abuse of minorities by people in power, or the looting and stealing on city streets.

While I cannot stop all the chaos going on in our world, I can take responsibility for my own emotions, the care of my own soul.

This morning as I sat outside, I noticed a freshly potted baby sun rose my wife started from a small cutting she brought back from our trip to Florida in July.  She had wrapped the cutting in a damp paper towel for our journey home and then placed it in a glass of water on our dining area window sill.  After a couple of weeks, the roots had grown several inches and now she has potted it in fresh soil.  It now sits on our back porch soaking the summer sun.

A lot of care has gone into giving this plant clipping the best opportunity to grow and flourish.  

Yes, I questioned this morning, what am I doing to give my soul the same care so that I can grow and flourish spiritually?  Without similar care for my soul, there is no way I can love others as God loves them.  There is no way I will be able to turn the other cheek or walk a second mile as Jesus instructed.

While I don’t see myself ever taking a sledgehammer to someone’s truck, Jesus words in the sermon on the mount remind me that my angry thoughts are just as damaging.

So, I need some time to pull away from the noise of the world, and gently care for my soul --  

…to make sure it’s properly watered and receiving enough light.

It’s up to me to schedule time for solitude, quiet reflection, and prayer.

Only then will I see as God sees and have anything to say that might be useful for His kingdom purpose.