Streams.
[The one who trusts in the Lord] is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
~ Ps 1:3
rooted, 2.
As you know, we are exploring the theme of rootedness as we enter into a new year together. What causes our roots to go down deep and strong? What makes us fruitful and prosperous? What holds us securely when the storms of life rise? Thankfully, there are a host of wonderful God-given resources available to us, and we’re going to dig down into many of these in the weeks to come. The psalmist offers a great place to start when he talks about the well-rooted tree being positioned by streams.
So today’s question is, Where does your nourishment come from?
What sustains your soul when you feel dry? And what practices keep you from getting dry? Dryness makes us brittle, fragile, and susceptible to small disturbances, whereas nourishment makes us resourceful, resilient, and adaptable even in large disturbances! Covid gave us a crash course in that reality, right? So again, what are your streams of refreshment and how accessible are they?
I suspect you find renewal and refreshment in many places—in your connection with God, your connection with trusted friends, your connection with the earth and creation. We are such multi-faceted creatures that we need to be fed on various fronts—mental nourishment, emotional, spiritual, social, and physical to name a few. Many New Year’s assessments invite us to take stock of our well-being on these different fronts, and there is great wisdom in that. Sometimes we get low in one particular area and don’t realize it until the consequences mount up.
You probably know that my personal practice (and my strong recommendation for soul health) involve taking a personal retreat near the beginning of each new year to assess such things. Some years I host a group retreat for this purpose, and my group retreat this winter will be the launch of our hybrid SOUL Journey cohort (which still has a few available slots!), but there is particular value in the solitude that comes from being alone for several days.
When I facilitate a retreat, personal or group, or a leadership sabbatical, I always begin right at this very point: Refreshment. Just how weary are you right now? What needs to be freshly resourced in your soul, and how will do you do that? Essentially, it’s an invitation to do some root-work… deepening, enlivening, realigning. So whether you choose to take an actual retreat or not (and I’ll say it even more strongly this time: No leader is trustworthy until they incorporate a regular practice of solitude), I hope you will take some meaningful time to do some soul-searching right at this point and time of year.
growing your soul
Take some time for reflection and evaluate the level of nourishment in your soul and your life as you enter 2025. What area needs some focused attention right now… and how will you do that?
serving our world
We’ll look at that in next week’s post. For today, stick with yourself.
takeaway
Reflect. Refresh.