Stay With Him through Spiritual Boredom
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Today the Gospel calls us to reflect on where there is infertile ground in our mindsets and hearts. Where is there rocky or thorny ground that’s getting in the way of fruitfulness and harvest?
My husband has built a garden for us and we’re learning that some things are fertile with harvest, while others not as much. We have too much of one vegetable or fruit, and not enough of another. Some vegetables and fruits came to life while others didn’t bear much fruit or any at all. So we look to the root of the issue… is there something in the soil or where it’s planted that might help us understand why it’s not bearing fruit?
We should do the same in our minds and hearts when it comes to the fruitfulness of our lives.
We may get discouraged by a lack of harvest of something in our lives. Something’s not happening or something’s not going the way it should be or the way we want it to. Something’s not bearing fruit like we thought it would. We explore: What circumstances are causing the issue? What’s in the soil of our minds and hearts that’s getting in the way?
Maybe I have a negative attitude, am doubtful, or discouraged. Maybe bitterness, unforgiveness, and resentment lie in my heart. Maybe I’ve lost hope and faith. Maybe a certain apathy, depression, or boredom have reigned in my mind. Maybe anxieties prevail. Perhaps stubbornness over “my will” is there.
Whatever it is, my mindset and my heart can be infertile soil for the Word of God to make headway in my life and bring about the fruitfulness I desire.
I’ve noticed this on my infertility journey. I can become focused on the physical obstacles to not being able to get pregnant vs. the obstacles in my mindset and heart. Ironically few if any physical obstacles have been found! Instead, quite a few mindset and heart obstacles have been illuminated. Perhaps it’s the doubting and discouraged parts of me that are still unbelieving and lacking hope that He will deliver that miracle He says He will. It’s the infertile ground of my mindset and heart that I still need to cultivate.
If there is infertile soil, what do I do about that? Like a garden, I shuffle some things in my life around. I cultivate better soil by removing the weeds (sins, thought patterns, hardness of heart) and fertilizing the ground (nourishment like renewed spiritual practices, feasting on God’s Word, service to others, and building a deeper relationship with God).
Today, maybe take a look inside your mindset and heart. Is there infertile soil that needs to be cultivated to bear fruit?
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, certified health and life coach, and volunteer. She is the creator of the ministry Women in Waiting | Made for Fruitfulness and is a published author. Her writing interests and focus areas include Gospel reflections, Franciscan spirituality, women's spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and daily living.
