Soak in His Word

 Soaking in His Word

Why do sponges absorb water? Sponges are made of loose fibers with lots of space between them. The holes between the sponge fibers absorb the water, and so the sponge material swells up with water. This stops the water coming out of the sponge when you lift it out of the water.

Am I the sponge that is filling my holes with worry, anxiety, regret, and negative thoughts? Or am I allowing space for uplifting, positive voices to guide me through the day. I have used the phrase "God sized hole" to describe a need for His presence in myself and others. It seems to come up when I am filling my time and attention with stuff other than His words, His voice, His direction. Like a sponge I fill all the holes of my day until they are full. Then, like the sponge I hold onto these things not letting any spill out.  

When I reach for a sponge I know what I am intending to soak up with it. Typically, a spill that I have made and need to clean up and dispose of. A sponge is meant to clean up a mess on our kitchen counters or even a bathroom floor. Filling the holes of the sponge with what we wish to get rid of. 

Unlike the sponge, I need to fill the holes of my heart with what I want to hold onto. Soaking iin His word is always time well spent. Beginning and ending my day with His words connects me to what makes my life whole. When I sit playing games on my phone or watching Golden Girls for the thousandth time, I am not engaging but shutting down. So why do I keep filling my day with mindless activities? There is no answer that comes to mind. I do justify that I have stress, exhaustion and need to unwind. But that just makes the clock spin without adding anything to my heart. 

There are even screen time apps that track how much time I am wasting on my phone. The truth is I don't turn them on because I am aware how bad I am at wasting time. This past weekend I spent time in my garden weeding and clearing out so there was room for the plants I want to flourish has the room to do just that. Now if I could just weed out and make room in my own life for what I want to flourish. My time this weekend was intentional in making room in the garden. I need to be just as intentional about how I spend my time and treasure. 

Soaking in His word. After all, I say my life quote is To know Him and make Him known. Games and mindless sitcoms don't point me to what I want in my life. I'm not saying I will give up either but rather hope to work at spending more time in relationships and less isolated on my phone. 

I am a sponge and I want to soak in others and Jesus. Then cling to the love and connections I am so thankful for in my life. 

In Him,

Joyful

4-26-22