Soul Nourishment

“It is at the risk of our own soul’s welfare that we get caught up in practical busy-work.” (from My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers)

I could easily fill every waking hour with practical busy-work. There is always so much work to get done that it can fill up every nook and cranny of my day. So I have to be intentional about clearing time and reserving energy for my soul.

One of my favorite sayings is, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Thus, I plan time for soul nourishment. Failing to exercise my inner core leads to soul atrophy.

I have to intentionally clear my schedule and make time for prayer, reading, writing, physical exercise, and time to connect with loved ones and to serve others. It’s much easier to schedule things that only involve myself since I can always wake up earlier, stay up later, or squeeze in time between busy-work. But connecting with my family and friends involves them to readjust their schedules as well.

Sometimes I try to multi-task. It is much more pleasant to help those I love than it is to serve strangers. Taking care of my family and friends helps me feel connected. However, it occasionally makes them feel like they are part of a service project. I think it’s because I voice my intentions ahead of time. I think people feel my actions are not motivated by love because I’m not spontaneous. Just because I plan to spend time and energy on someone doesn’t mean that I’m doing it out of a sense of obligation or duty.

Practical busy-work can take over my day like an invasive weed. I have to be deliberate about clearing space for soul nourishing activities. I wish I could pretend that this happens spontaneously, but it doesn’t. Yet I could be a little more subtle about my scheduling. I wish my soul could look more like a well-tended English garden, unstructured and informal, yet where each plant has its space to grow.