Spiritual Reflection: Neglecting Your Soul

"He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul."

—Psalm 23:2–3

Beloved one,If your soul feels like a dry well—still giving, still needed, yet slowly running empty, I want to remind you: God cares about your restoration just as much as your service.

As a caregiver, you carry the profound privilege and weight of showing up for others day after day. But in the quiet places, your spirit may whisper, "I'm tired. I miss myself. I don't remember the last time I felt filled."

The good Shepherd not only leads you into service. He also leads you to still waters.He doesn't drive you like a taskmaster. He invites you to rest as a beloved soul, not just a worker.

This isn't self-centeredness. It's sacred stewardship. To tend your soul is to honor the One who made it.

A Bible Story for Reflection: The Ax Head That Floated

(2 Kings 6:1–7)

In this unusual and often overlooked story, a group of prophets is building a new place to live. One man is chopping wood near the river when suddenly, his iron ax head flies off and sinks into the water. He panics—it was borrowed.

Elisha, the prophet, calmly throws a stick into the water, and miraculously, the iron floats to the surface.

It's a strange and simple moment. But it reveals something profound: God cares about what feels small, lost, or borrowed, even an ax head.

How much more, then, does He care when you feel like you are the one who's sunk beneath the surface—used up, borrowed beyond capacity, and silently overwhelmed?

Your soul, too, is meant to rise again. You are not forgotten beneath the waters of exhaustion.God is ready to restore what feels lost in you.

Journaling Reflection

Gently explore these prompts in stillness:

• What part of my soul feels most depleted right now?

• What do I miss about how I used to feel—spiritually, emotionally, physically?

• If my soul were a well, what would help refill it?

• What would it look like to let God lead me beside still waters this week?

Practical Steps to Alleviate the Struggle

1. Create a Daily 5-Minute Stillness Practice

   
   

   Light a candle. Breathe deeply. Say aloud: "He restores my soul." Sit in silence and let yourself be.

2. Make a "Soul List"

   
   

   Write down five things that make your soul feel alive—music, nature, laughter, prayer, poetry. Choose one this week as an offering to yourself.

3. Ask: What Have I Borrowed That I Need to Return?

   
   

   Like the ax head, sometimes we "borrow" energy, time, or expectations that aren't ours to carry. Identify one you can gently release.

4. Let Scripture Wash Over You

   
   

   Read Psalm 23 slowly, aloud, as a meditation. Let each phrase be its own breath prayer.

5. Bless Your Own Care

   
   

   As you wash your face, drink water, or lie down, whisper: "This is holy." Your care for yourself is a form of worship.

Closing Prayer

God who restores,

I confess that I have poured out more than I've taken in.

I've given of my time, my heart, my strength

And now I feel weary, empty, unseen.

Lead me beside still waters again.

Remind me that I am not only a caregiver,

But a soul in need of care.Lift what has sunk in me.

Let me float again in Your love.

Restore my joy, my peace, my identity in You.

And teach me to receive as much as I give.

Amen.