If you were walking past a plant and saw it looking a little droopy, what would you do? Would you dump the last of your Starbucks coffee into it? Walk by and ignore it?  Tell someone else about it and hope they do something? Would you get some water and pour it into the soil and fix the problem yourself?

Personally, I was pretty droopy on Monday. Actually, that is an understatement. I had one of the worst Mondays ever! My soul woke up and decided to have a temper tantrum all day. I was depressed, angry, grieving, bitter, closed off to others, and had eaten three cupcakes on Mother’s Day  (thanks, Jill!)..not good!!!

Instead of lovingly caring for my soul and giving it what it needed, I damaged it even more by exposing it to the harsh elements of unkind self-talk, shutting out my husband, and entertaining bitter and unloving thoughts…all day long! It took until 8:30 that night and my dear Muslim friend from Syria to snap me out of the danger frostbite zone I was heading for.

Thankfully, I began to give my soul some much-needed nourishment by talking with friends, reading my Bible, asking for prayer, going to sleep, talking with my life-coach, journaling, and exercising. My soul began to thaw and straighten up a bit.

How about you? If you took a look at your soul, what would you see?  Would you see a soul that is shallow, cluttered, or hardened or a soul that is thriving, healthy, and flourishing or maybe a little of both? Do you offer your soul refreshment just as you would water a wilted plant when it needs it, or do you further the depletion process by neglecting your soul, hoping it will hang on a little bit longer and not wither completely?

We have a choice to let our souls become unhealthy, infecting others with our foul moods and bitterness or we can, “keep our souls carefully because we want to bring life and not death to those around us” (pg. 97).

Would you quickly jot a list of 5-7 things you do for yourself when your soul is a little wilted? And if you are so brave, would you share some not so healthy things you do to your soul?

In Sunday school this week, we are learning about Barnabus and how he encouraged the Christians in Antioch. May we, “encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness” (Hebrews 3:13). Maybe we can learn some new soul-care tips from each other as we attend to our souls this week. May we be so healthy that we BLOOM in all that God has for us.