When You are Wilting

“The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God.”

Psalm 92:12-13 CSB

 By: Heather Shofftsall, Director of Student Ministry

Spring is just around the corner. Soon the buds and blooms will start to make their appearance. But what happens when you are wilting while it seems everyone around you is blooming?

Life sometimes has a way of making you feel overwhelmed and with no time to fill your own cup. No time for prayer, no time to read your Bible, no time to spend with Jesus. The list of reasons why there is no time can be a long one. For me it is balancing work and Seminary assignments. Balancing community commitments and time with family and friends. I feel like my never ending “To-Do” list is stealing my focus from Jesus.

I sometimes feel like a wilted flower, drained and drooping. Being a verbal processor, I try to find relief by talking through my constant overwhelming tasks, the nagging worries, the anxiety about everything I need to accomplish. I confide in people, hoping for a sense of satisfaction, but no conversation fills the void. I realized I was looking in the wrong place. Only Jesus, the true source of life, could take my weary spirit and breathe renewal into it.

Without Him, I am empty and wilting.

He's the one who's helps me slowly, but surely, to grow from wilting to thriving. I have renewed my prayer life, Bible reading, and personal devotion time. I have shifted my focus to asking others how I can pray for them. I’m no longer wilting. My circumstances have remained the same, but my roots have changed. May I never again be rooted in my own self but instead continue to ground myself in Jesus: the rock the One who will forever sustain me.