Overwatering

This blog popped up as a Facebook Memory the other day. I wrote this in 2019 right after my son graduated high school and was getting ready for Auburn. I can remember what was happening in my heart like it was 5 years ago. I was in a valley and most of it tied to TRYING to fix what I thought needed repair in his heart. For those of you newer to PFTNG, the ministry roots were established in 2019 with a group of moms on a Facebook Page “Praying for the Class of 2023.” I am reminded that God was about to birth something big and the enemy was seeking to rob, and destroy and get me focused down instead of up. 5 years later, one seed at Auburn has now led to 11 Campuses (and growing). As I reflect on what I wrote 5 years ago almost to the day – I give ALL Praise to our Mighty God.

Overwatering Any of us living in the south the past weeks (remember if you are in ATL this was 5 years ago) can identify with OVERWATERING! We had record rain last Saturday and for the year we are already up 4.13 inches of rain!! OK, I am a little weather obsessed and always have been, but promise this is not a meteorological report! The timing of this deluge was kind of interesting though because I was in a stormy spot myself, a little bit of this wash, rinse and repeat pattern. And one day a wise friend and mentor mentioned something about, “overwatering” and I couldn’t get my heart off of this because I knew this was me!!

I kept chewing over this “overwatering”, and got curious. I knew there was a spiritual analogy here so I searched the impact of overwatering plants and here’s what I found. “Because the roots need air, part or all of the root system can die from overwatering. The water can wash away soil and nutrients, leaving exposed roots and soil that isn’t fertile enough to support plant growth. Excess water creates an ideal moist environment for fungi that damage plants.”

I’m just going to take that now and examine my heart. I’ve been so set on fixing and tending to a couple of situations that I have been over-analyzing, over-talking, and I’ll even go as far to say over-praying. I wasn’t giving the Holy Spirit room to support my heart and let fertile soil regenerate. In other words – I was not letting God be God. I was trying to help Him along the way just a little too much. When I don’t let the right nutrients in, or feed the wrong nutrients, my eyes are off of Jesus. I’m so focused on the problem and how to fix it that it gives an opportunity for “fungi” to cause damage. The voice of the evil one gets just a little bit louder and I get kind of empowered thinking I’m doing such an amazing job!!!

Fast forward to the rain stopping. I went to drop something off at a friend’s house. I felt like I was in the English countryside and it took my breath away. The hydrangeas were GORGEOUS, the flowers were in full bloom and everything was so lush and stunning. God was showing off and I was paying attention!! I pulled away thinking THAT’S IT. We just have to wait for the rain to stop and let the SON shine the light, and let some air into those roots to start breathing again!! Just let it dry out!! And I prayed and I praised God and thanked Him that no matter how rough the waters get, how hard I make it, how discouraging it can become…no matter I KNOW, I KNOW that it will change because HE IS IN IT!! And you know what happened shortly thereafter? I saw this on Instagram from a Pastor I follow and love!! Rick Renner and he writes,

“Those who are born of God have the supernatural ability to keep getting up again, not matter how many times they fall!”

God’s word says: “though he may stumble, he will not fall. For the Lord upholds him with his hand.” Psalm 37:24.

Come on people, is HE NOT THE BEST and, He isn’t keeping score. He isn’t giving up on us and He forgives us each and every time and tells us to shake it off and get back up because He has more work for us to do!!! And I will close by testifying that as soon as I was done trying to correct and fix and stopped God spoke to me in that beautiful and quiet voice. He corrected and HE provided the answer that was SO SO His way!

“Lord I pray that we will always be open to your correction. I thank you for the water damage because it allows me to open my heart to your ways that are so perfect. I love the simplicity of the Gospel and how easy you make it for us, but we so want it to be more complicated than it is so forgive me Lord. Forgive me. It is in such a desire to obey that I get so cloudy!! There was nothing easy about Jesus dying for our sin and giving us life eternal and I pray Lord that this life will honor YOU because you have given so much Oh Lord. So much. May we work to build YOUR KINGDOM!! In Jesus Name, Amen.”

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14