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Turning - the Soil

 Last Sunday, December 26, 2021, the last Sunday of the year, I was sitting in church, not our usual church campus, listening to the Pastor begin his sermon. He started talking about being on the verge of a new year. My mind wandered and I thought, God you haven't given me a word yet. Then I heard Him, "Turning - the soil." I thought what?! Again I heard it, "Turning - the soil, write it down." Of course me being me I thought that can't be God but I wrote it down (just in case).

  • Side note: My rule concerning my "word of the year" is if it really is God speaking that word over me it will show up in the things I read or in my daily activities, it will come to mind repeatedly. 

I will admit I was a little thrown off by this phrase. I have been asking God to give me a word that will define 2022, one that will grow me, comfort me in times of hardship, something I can offer to others when they need encouragement from a friend. I wanted a strong word, something different. God is a God of delivery. He gave me all of that and a little extra. 

Some of the things I found when I looked up turning the soil: turning over and breaking up the soil; disturbing the roots of the weeds; best to till when the soil is dry; helps cushion the force of pounding raindrops; allows oxygen and vital nutrients to reach the roots.

For years I have been able to hear God speak things to my heart, at times it was almost audible. The past couple of months God has also been speaking to me through visions or pictures. When God spoke to me Turning - the soil, He also gave me the vision of a plow turning the soil. That picture has stuck in my mind and comes back to me every time I hear or think Turning - the soil. 

When I think about God turning the soil of my heart, of my life, I realize that I have been in a drought the past few years. I have been hard and not much has penetrated any part of me. I stopped spending time in His word and in prayer. I have let the storms of life define my mindset. I feel like God is saying it is time to turn that old, hard ground into something new. It is time to break the top soil and make it soft and fresh again, to give it oxygen and nutrients that my soul has been missing. It is time to bury the old and turn it over with a refreshing smell and feel, a newness that I have not encountered before. The soil is dry and it is the perfect time to let God do some turning and breaking.

This does not mean that this coming year or season will be easy and there will be no storms. It does not mean that I will live each day in perfectness. However, it does mean that when the raindrops fall they will be cushioned by God's heavenly grace, and my soul will be watered and fed. I need to stop shielding myself with an umbrella and let the spirit of the Lord drench me. 

As I get older and I learn more about life I can see that I am better off letting the small things go. It is ok for me to pull the weeds that overtake my garden and sometimes there are weeds that are deeply rooted that are impossible to pull, so maybe there is a growing moment in that for me. I have learned not every one will think my garden is the prettiest but as long as God is pleased, that is all that truly matters. I have also learned that just because I plant a seed that does not mean I get to watch it grow, but what matters is that the seed was planted. When I plant a seed, water it and get to watch it grow, it might not grow the way I pictured it would. That does not mean I stop watering it or give up on it because God is really the one who knows what the mature plant will look like. Some times if you keep watering and waiting (silently) God will make a big, beautiful crop out of an ugly beginning or middle.     

As we move out of 2021 and into 2022 my ground (heart) is ready to be turned, is yours? Ask the Lord to prepare you for all the seasons this new year will hold. Ask Him to keep turning you through the good days and through the rain showers and the hurricanes. Remember some days you will be laying on a beach soaking up the sunshine but others will be dark and stormy with the wind and dirt raging. Praise Him through it all. Allow the rain to penetrate your life and water your dry land. Allow your soil to be turned and broken so that it can be renewed by the One that created it. 

And I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. Ezekiel 36:26 NLT

Happy New Year and God Bless you,

Denissa

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