Have you ever just felt all dried up? Your life has been moving nonstop and there has been no time to relax and allow your soul, body and mind to be nourished and “plumped up?” I’m thinking of a pillow that has been pressed down for an extended period of time, and is left flat and misshapened. Or the image of dried gray rocks. These rocks became gray because they have been in the sun and dry air that allowed all of the moisture in the rocks to evaporate. Like a flattened out pillow, dry rocks withhold the vision of their beauty and hope of comfort.
So with our lives: When our physical, mental, spiritual and emotional reserves get spent, we are very much like dry rocks or a flattened pillow. We need to seek out nourishment, rehydration and some gentle “plumping.” Each allows what is already within to be revitalized so the inner self (or the light) can shine through and serve as a hopeful presence for others. Obviously these rocks did not become beautifully colored when water hit them, but the water brings out the vibrant colors from the minerals. And just like these rocks, we have God-given attributes that are beautiful when encouraged, nurtured and allowed to shine through. And we can choose to be nourished, hydrated and “plumped” by what we expose ourselves to, and the practices we choose. (Matt. 5:16) “. . . let your light shine . . .” Our light does not shine from “flipping a switch” without being connected to a source. It is “the source” that provides the nourishment, hydration and shine. What do we need to seek when we have become dry? For me it is spending some peaceful alone time in Nature with an attitude of meditation. Not searching for something, but simply being a sponge of the Natural Energy.
