Nourishing To Flourishing

THREE WAYS FILLING LEADS TO FULFILLMENT

I saw a mindfulness planner titled “You Gotta Nourish To Flourish,” by Pembroke.  I love this thought!  Nourish is more than just eating and drinking. You are three parts, Spirit, Soul and Body. If you are physically drained, you will be mentally and spiritually drained. So eat right, think positive thoughts, align yourself with your Creator and you will thrive and have peace. To nourish and flourish you must pour into yourself in a positive, pleasant way to achieve your utmost potential. So how do you pour into yourself so you can pour into others? Let’s use the coffee analogy. (If you don’t like coffee, forgive me and use tea!) Here are three steps you can take on the road to pouring so you will flourish.

1) Act by applyingthe effort it takes to lift the pot to pour. It won’t pour itself.There is  conscious action required to tip it so the good stuff will come out. Sometimes you’re so depleted you don’t want to take action to nourish yourself or others. Make a choice. a conscious decision to pour out a trickle, that may feel like a flood to someone that’s parched. When you see their response to your kindness or compliment, it may make your heart happy and then you want more of that happiness. Before you know it you are caring and encouraging all over the place! You can achieve a healthy state and reach peak performance where you will be replenished and restored with abundance so you can function fully as God intended.

2) Aim so you hit the target not the table. You have to know where and what you are pouring, whose life you are making a difference in. Even if they are a stranger, pour kindness freely to all around you so the splash of kindness will be sensed. When you aim at someone else it takes your eyes off your own disappointments or devastation. As you do this, you will be nourished, blessed and poured into. God aimed at us,”…he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3: 5-7 NIV) What an awesome, undeserved pouring we have that brings eternal life and hope!

3) Appreciate a good cup of coffee, it’s a great way to start the day. More important, forget the coffee analogy right now and appreciate the goodness of God, even if things aren’t going wonderful, God is always good and He will work it out for you. He is with you in the daily dos or the devastation.  He will nourish you, causing you to flourish. An attitude of gratitude creates a thankful and joyful heart. 

If it seems like you are drowning in difficulty and the pain keeps pouring, know that God will keep your head above water. He will turn it around so the pouring can be positive. How? Blessings, love, favor and healing can be poured on you. When my husband almost died of Covid pneumonia December 2021, God answered the prayers of many as He turned it around. (See Jon Reddick’s song “God Turn It Around.”) God changed the pouring pain and respiratory failure to life abundant as healing saturated us.

Sometimes you wonder where the abundance is. When my son died in 2014 tragedy poured on our lives, but the Lord poured strength and healing into my brokenheart. Look to Him for He is with you. Proper perspective of the pouring will bring peace. Nobody likes difficulty. You may have challenging situations you don’t choose, but you can choose how you face them.

“Fill your thoughts with my words until they penetrate deep into your spirit. Then, as you unwrap my words, they will impart true life and radiant health into the very core of your being.” (Proverbs 4: 21-22 TPT) You can’t get more nourishing and flourishing than that! As you meditate on God’s Word you will overflow and pour validation, encouragement, kindness and love to all you encounter, even yourself! 

Love, Debbie

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