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As the earth brings forth its shoots, and a garden makes its seeds spring up, so will the Lord God make justice spring up, and praise before all the nations. Isaiah 61:11

Decades ago, when I first started gardening, I planted seeds versus buying plants already grown and nurtured in a greenhouse. I wanted the full experience of seeing those small, green shoots poke through the dark soil for the first time.

The moment that happened, I wanted my flower patch to be as spectacular as possible. I immediately added Miracle-Gro to my watering can—and did so every Monday. I even dubbed the day “Miracle-Gro Monday.”

Weeks later, I had cosmos as tall as I was. It was spectacular … for about a day. Then, because the growth was so forced by the chemicals, the plants began crowding each other out. Even worse, the tall flowers were literally falling down. The fertilizer had helped them shoot up fast, but it did so before they could grow deep roots into the ground to sustain their weight.

We can learn so much from my gardening experience.

“How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Luke 6:42

The abortion issue is front and center in the media right now with the Supreme Court revisiting Roe v. Wade. With that comes the question of how people can deny that abortion is the taking of a life. Those in the abortion industry who have “seen the light,” talk about the inability to recognize that as a “veil.” When it was lifted, they were finally able to see the truth, repent, and advocate for life.

It’s easy to identify when and where that veil exists whenever we look at “them.” But it makes me wonder where the veils are in my own life.

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“I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever.” John 6:51

There are a slew of foods and beverages that restore us when we’re ill or frail. Good old-fashioned chicken soup can be medicinal when the healing nutrients are extracted from simmered chicken bones. Ensure® is a calorie-packed milkshake that includes almost every vitamin our body needs. My sister swears by Pedialyte®, the infant hydrating formula, to replace what we’ve lost when we’re hungover.

When we recognize our bodies are depleted we reach for remedies like these. But do we do the same for our souls? When we’re weary, overwhelmed, fearful, or lost, do we recognize our spiritual need and feed it?