When we purchased our home 30 years ago, our street had no record of ever having been flooded. In the past five… maybe six years, it has been under water three times. As a result, we have neglected our front yard. Why invest in it if in a few months it will be submerged again? Add that to my husband still struggling as a COVID long hauler… the front yard was sad. Back yard happy. Front yard sad.
We called in help this year and had a new driveway installed and the entire front landscaped and sod added. It is beautiful and looks loved again. Still, each morning when I crawl out of bed to water the new sod and plants I wonder if it will all be gone soon. I wonder if I will be watching part of it float down the street like my neighbor’s jacuzzi. Have I wasted my time and energy?
Somewhere in the stillness of the morning and the rhythmic sounds of the sprinklers, God has been restoring my heart along with my yard. He has been reminding me that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring but we still need to keep living with joy and gratitude anyway.
Just as my sod will dry up if it isn’t watered, my soul will suffer if it isn’t nurtured and cared for each day as well. I need to be as intentional about my soul care as I am my sod care.
What have you neglected during the past few years as we have all tried to live normally during a worldwide humanitarian crisis? What parts of your life do you need to nurture?
Take time to dig into all of the opportunities you can find within this newsletter and the conference website to be filled and to grow your heart. Be intentional each day… here and now… so you will be ready and strengthened for whatever comes next.
“Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children – “ Deuteronomy 4:9 ESV
If you would like to view past editions of A Message from Kim, follow this link: https://sounddistrictnc.org/category/from-district-lay-leader/
If you would like to connect with Kim please do so through her email, k.smith@nccumc.org