You Will Be Like A Well Watered Garden

My Path to Self-Discovery

"The Lord will guide you continually, watering your life when you are dry and keeping you healthy, too. You will be like a well watered garden like an ever-flowing spring." Isaiah 58:11 (NLT)

Well-watered faith was inspired by my life-long battle of being unhealthy; spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Two years ago, I began a journey of self-discovery that had been a long time coming. The path that I had traveled my entire life had led me nowhere. The person I had become was not who I was meant to be. Even as a little girl, I was a people pleaser. “Keep your emotions to yourself, do what everyone else says and wants, be the quiet and meek girl who doesn’t draw attention.”

Who was I? All I knew of myself was that I did what everyone else wanted or expected of me.

As I contemplated my life choices, the realization of my unhappiness hit me.

Personally, I had held myself back from becoming who I needed to be. My thoughts, emotions, dreams, hopes, and desires; I had held everything in my entire life.

Spiritually, I was dry and empty. Physically, my overall health and wellness was fair, at best.

My marriage (from the outside) looked like any marriage, as we looked happy and fulfilled. However, we were falling apart at the seams.

These discoveries led me to assess my life. God was calling me to so much more, He was calling me to rise up and finally be who He meant for me to be. The brokenness I felt was overwhelming, but I had to decide what to do with all of the broken pieces.

God set me on a new path that would restore my soul, my life, and my marriage. There were so many questions of what would happen or who I would become, but I would no longer be the person I once was. As I picked up those broken pieces, I could become whoever I wanted to be.

There was grief and a sense of loss as I let go of my past self. It’s not easy to address any area of your life that needs changing, but I was in a position to address them all at once.

It took time, but I found my voice and began speaking up for myself and communicating. The focus was no longer on the hurts of my past, but on how to heal those hurts. The uncomfortable situations that had held me back so many times before, no longer caused me to hide or run away. It seemed as if I faced my fears of insecurity, being vulnerable, and getting out of my comfort zone head-on.

Addressing my physical health became a priority. Being 50 pounds overweight with high blood pressure, always being stressed and tired is not how God wants us to live. Over the course of the year, I lost 35 pounds. God began to show me who I was meant to be, as the approval from others became less important. Without God, I could not have taken the steps that I needed to take to improve my overall wellness.

Wellness is the balance of your social, mental, and physical health. Everything in your life affects your wellness. Your marriage, kids, family, friendships, careers, finances, exercise, weight, emotions; all of the things that make you who you are, affect your overall health. None of these areas will ever be perfect, and perfection is not the goal. The goal is balance.

But how do we achieve balance?

Only through God and His word. We have to be rooted and grounded in Him. We have to stay planted in His word. If we do that, we will be like “a well watered garden” Isaiah 58:11. We can flourish as we stay connected to the one who is our refuge and strength (Psalm 46:1). Although I have come a long way, if I don’t continually stay connected to Christ, I will fall out of balance quickly.

Where are you on your journey? Do you need to change your course? Will you allow God to move you out of the way to become who He wants you to be?

Spend quiet time with God today and ask Him if you are following the path that He has set for you. It is so easy to get distracted along the way, but He will guide you back.

Will you join me as I continue to seek a healthy balance in my life?

As God leads, Well-Watered Faith will address issues that women face from both wellness and biblical perspectives. I pray that as you come along with me, you will gain tools and inspiration as we walk the road to wellness together.

Lord, thank you for providing all that we need to be balanced and whole. Please help us stay rooted and grounded in your word. As we look to you as our hope and strength, make us well. As we seek you, let us flourish like a well watered garden so that we reflect your beauty and light. Amen

I encourage you to get a notebook, even a spiral-bound notebook is fine. I want you to use this as your prayer and self discovery journal. Every week, I will give you a journal prompt and I want you to prayerfully consider each one. Journaling has a lot of benefits for wellness.

This week's journal prompt: How healthy are the following areas of my life; marriage, self, finances, family, other relationships, my home, my thoughts and emotions, my physical body (including disease, weight, overall physical health), my job, my relationship with God? Rate each area and see where you need to improve. What areas are out of balance?