Tag: when you feel empty

Watering Your Soul

Lisa Preuett

Hurrying out the door in a rush, I glanced over at my plants. A week ago the bright green leaves flourished. But now those same leaves wilted away, some with a hint of brown.

I’ll water them when I get back home. 

Several days later, I realized I’d forgotten yet again. Looking at what were once thriving plants, I bent over to pick up a couple crisp brown leaves beside the plant on the floor. Oh no!

My plants were situated just right. They had a front row seat in front of the dining room windows, allowing plenty of beaming sunshine.

Water wasn’t a problem either. My kitchen faucet was just a few yards away, always ready to spout out enough water. An ample supply of water for thirsty plants!

So the problem wasn’t the placement or water supply. The problem was me.

I’m horrible when it comes to watering plants! Instead of disciplining myself to water them on a regular basis, I’ll usually wait until they’re wilting before I give them attention.

What a powerful picture of how we sometimes approach our time with God.

I’m in a hurry now. I’ll read my Bible when I get home later. I’ll spend some uninterrupted time in prayer when I’m not so rushed.

But then after a while, we notice how parched our soul is.

We feel empty inside.

Instead of thriving,  we are barely in survival mode.

We might be alive, but we’re far from active.

I am so guilty of letting the fibers of my soul wilt away until I feel I’m dying inside. I desperately crave refreshment. My entire being cries out for the living water of Jesus to fill my emptiness.

If I watered my plants on a regular basis, they would never wilt. If they soaked up life-giving water consistently, then they would never turn brown. And I must humbly surrender myself in the same way to Jesus.

I need a dose of His living water each and every day. I will thrive so much more when I’m in His word every day. My soul will feel satisfied when I run to Him moment by moment, and not just in my melt-down-crisis-how-did-I-get-here moments!

Just as regular fresh water is essential to our plants, so is continuous communication with the creator of our souls essential to our faith.

What about you? Are you in a season of wilting away? Are the edges of your heart drying up? In survival mode? You are not alone, dear friend. I’ve been there. Sometimes I’ve lingered in this place way too long.

Take time to rest in His presence. Take time to open His word. Take time to let His unlimited source of living water fill you up to overflowing. His supply will never end. His love for you will never dry up.

 

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Isaiah 58:11)

Blessings to you!

Lisa Preuett

Are You on Empty?

Lisa Preuett

I’d just come out of Kroger and was ready to head home. The trunk was full of groceries. My heart full with excitement and joy. We were getting ready to go out on the lake with friends. Listening to the radio blasting with my favorite song, I glanced over to my left and noticed a black Jeep stopped in the middle of the parking lot.

An empty gas can was perched on top of it. Nobody was in the driver’s seat. When my eyes continued to look, I noticed a young woman sitting on the edge of a curb, just feet away from the stopped vehicle. Her head was buried in her hands. She appeared distraught, her body slumped over in defeat.

I pulled over towards her and put down my window. “Is someone coming to help you?” I asked her. When she replied with a desperate, “No”, I asked her if she needed some gas. She shared with me that she’d just left an abusive relationship. She was trying to get to her parents’ house. They were an hour away. Her boyfriend had taken her wallet in an attempt to get her to stay. This young woman had no money. She was stranded.

My heart full of compassion, I immediately realized God had allowed our paths to cross. I filled her empty gas can so she could get her Jeep to the gas pump. And then I offered to fill it up enough to get her to her destination. She humbly accepted.

With one hand she pumped gas, and with the other she wiped tears that would not stop flowing. She knew she was doing the right thing, yet her heart ached. She was torn. She repeatedly blurted, “This is so embarrassing; I’m so sorry to bother you.” Yet I took the opportunity to speak encouragement to her, sharing with her that God had rescued me from my past hurts. I assured her I’d pray for her safety. And for God to guide her in the days ahead.

Driving away from there, I followed through with my promise to pray for her. And as always, God spoke to my own heart through this incident. I wouldn’t have known this woman needed help if she hadn’t placed the empty gas can on top of her vehicle. If she’d remained in her vehicle, with her gas can in the back, nobody would’ve known she needed help. The empty gas can was like a white flag flying overhead shouting “I need help!”

When we are desperately hurting and at the end of our rope, we have two options: We can remain isolated from others, letting pride dictate our actions. We can keep our hurts inside and attempt to handle it ourselves. All the while whispering to ourselves, What will people think?

Or we can humbly ask for help. We can speak up and share our heart’s deepest hurts. What does that look like? It means we cry out in desperation to God and say Okay, I’m on empty. I need to be filled up. And then it may mean we call a trusted friend we can confide in. We humbly admit, I’m at my wit’s end and can’t do this alone. Just like the young woman who was stranded, we put out our empty gas can and ask for help.

So where are you,dear friend? Are you running on fumes, almost on empty? Is there an area of your life where you feel stranded and there seems to be no way out? If so, then I urge you to surrender.

Surrender to your pride.
Surrender to God’s grace.
Surrender to a fellow believer who can walk beside you.

It is only when we admit our emptiness that we can truly be filled. Just as I filled the young woman’s car up with gas, the empty places in your heart can be filled.

Filled with truth.
Filled with grace.
Filled with hope.

Or maybe you are filled up and need to be on the lookout for those who are empty. Believe me, if you look around close enough you will see them. They are there. Maybe they won’t be as obvious as an empty gas can on top of a vehicle in clear view, but if you look close enough you will see the signs:

Of desperation.
Of despair.
Of emptiness.

Either way, I encourage you to allow our Heavenly Father to fill you up if you’re on empty. Or to allow Him to use you in order to fill someone else up.

James 4:6 “God resists the proud, but he gives grace to the humble.”

gas can