Three Tips to Re-Fill Your Drying Well

Last updated on: July 30, 2018 at 9:23 pm by Dr. Laurel Shaler

Three Tips to Re-Fill Your Drying Well 2018-07-30T21:23:29-04:00 Dr. Laurel Shaler

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In some parts of the world, the title of this blog would be taken literally. The reader would be looking for ways to bring a waterwell back to life. For most of us, it’s symbolic. We know the well is us. And what is dry is not the cool refreshing liquid we thirst for on a hot summer day, but what is within us. We feel zapped of our ambition, boldness, creativity, desire, energy…and the list could go on straight down to the letter z. Thankfully, we don’t have to stay that way, mired down feeling like we’re wasting precious time. Yet, sometimes refilling the well does take time. Time to read. Time to reflect. Time to rest.

Time to read. Reading is one critically important way we learn. It is impossible to meaningfully contribute to anything without first learning. I’ve found that reading helps foot the bill. Sometimes, we just need a refresher – a reminder of what we once knew to be true or why it’s still important. Other times, we need to learn something entirely new. Another reason reading is important is that it’s necessary to understand what others are saying. We need to hear perspectives that we would align ourselves with and perspectives that aren’t anywhere close to our own. We cannot engage in intellectual conversation or teach others without this knowledge. A final reason reading is important is that it can encourage us. During times when I don’t have anything left to give, I know it’s a time to receive. I soak up what others have written so that I can draw closer to the Lord, be inspired, or simply get my creative juices flowing. If our wells are empty, reading can help fill them up.

Time to reflect. Most of us don’t spend enough time being still. Many of us are in constant hyper-speed. We don’t meditate enough on the Word of God. We don’t process our experiences and feelings. We just go. Reflecting on life experiences gives us us space to consider lessons learned, losses mourned, dreams realized, and desired unfilled. I think of the vision boards where people made pictorial representations of what they wanted out of life. While I don’t necessary subscribe to all of the elements surrounding these, I do believe that if we look at where we’ve been, it can help guide us to where we are headed. Most importantly, God has to be at the center – we must be in His will, or it’s all for naught. Being able to visualize what He has called us to do can help guide our path forward. We must take time to speak to the Lord and hear from Him. Thinking about and reflecting on life rather than just flying through it can help get us back to a place where we can truly live.

Time to rest. Finally, and most importantly, we must take time to rest. It’s been said that God created a day of rest before the fall of man; therefore, it was always a part of his plan. Let that sink in. Resting is critical. It is vital for the restoration of our physical bodies, but it is also crucial for the restoration of our spiritual beings. Yes, resting involves sleep (so get as much as your body needs), but it also involves taking a break from the busyness, removing ourselves from the world for a bit, and allowing ourselves time to fully relax. That is so tough these days, in part due to the chronic stress and constant pressures. It’s been made even tougher thanks to all the forms of media, including the social kind. It’s rare that we take true breaks from it all – the televisions, cell phones, computers, video games. All the screens. But we need to. We need genuine rest in order to refill our wells.

This isn’t rocket science. You have likely heard these tips and more many times over. But have you taken the time to utilize them? Read, reflect, rest. Do whatever the Lord leads you to do in order to be restored and refreshed, in order to have your drying well refilled…and prevent it from being sucked dry again. After all, you only have one well.

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