Day 50 – Cultivate the Garden of Your Soul

Your soul is like a garden, it must be cultivated and nourished in order for it flourish.

These flowers weren’t here six months ago. I don’t know much about flowers, but I know these aren’t the most beautiful or expensive ones. About six months ago the plot of dirt these flowers are on, was just dirt next to a bike path. It was supposed to be dirt like all the other dirt around it. But no one told that to a little old man when he started planting those flowers. I thought it was odd at the time that he’d chosen this place to plant these flowers. Every Sunday for weeks I’d see him there with his gardening tools tending these flowers and watering them with his green plastic watering can.

Today was the first day in months I’d been back to the trail. I’d forgotten about these flowers. I was shocked to see them as big as they were. They didn’t grow out of thin air. They grew because of the constant cultivation and tending of the little old man.

Today I was reminded that our souls are like a garden…and they must be cultivated. We do this by doing the things that feed our souls. By spending time with the people that bring us joy. By doing the things that bring us peace. So whether it’s music, poetry, prayer, scripture, church or spending time with others, do those things that feed your soul…and stay away from the things that steal your joy.

In the words of a sage named Paul, “…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” ( Philippians 4v8, NRSV)

May you cultivate the garden of your soul.