Reflections 7/1/2020: As I was feasting on Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” devotional this morning I was struck by the verb “SOAKING” in describing our connection with You, Lord. “As you spend time SOAKING in My Presence, you are energized and lightened. By gazing at Me, you gain My perspective on your life. This time alone with Me is essential for unscrambling your thoughts and smoothing out the day before you.” Perhaps it caused a pause because the evening before, as I was watering our garden, Ed noticed that the soil was so hard that the water was not soaking down to the roots of our flowers… and they were looking wilted. He got out a deep pronged hoe and gouged the ground around the plants to allow the water to pool and soak into the loosened soil. Voila! Root hydration! “Soaking” isn’t a sudden thing. I takes time and intentionally. And maybe a little roughing up of the soil of our hearts to achieve. I think my most tumultuous times have brought about the best deep root hydration in my heart, Jesus. (Much as I’ve groaned at the gouging!) My roots, desperate for Your living water, bask in the flow of life-giving liquid!Revived and renewed for new growth! So “hoe, hoe, hoe” takes on whole new meaning in the garden of my deep-rooted heart!