A Fallow Season

“You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield but on the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, so that the needy of your people may eat; and whatever they leave the beast of the field may eat. You are to do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.” Ex. 23:10 - 11 (NASB)

As you may have read in the above Scripture, the Mosaic Law states that every seventh year, the Israelites were to leave the ground unplowed, to allow it to lie fallow, to rest the land. This resting allows the land to renew itself and to regain the nutrients that were used by the previously planted crops. I’ve been pondering and studying this idea of the year of resting, this “fallow time.”

Oddly enough, presently in my spiritual life I feel like I’m in a “fallow” season. While I personally have been “OK”, I’m emerging from a season of crisis in the church I attend and the lives of people closest to me. I’ve referred to this crisis season in past blogs, especially about the church I attend. Some of those particular issues have been somewhat resolved and a period of healing for the people of the church is taking place, including in my own spiritual life.

However, some of the collateral damage of this recent crisis season has been completely unhealthy for me physically. Several years ago I worked really hard and lost a significant amount of weight, but in the midst of the recent crisis, I found myself returning to some really bad eating habits and I have gained back quite a bit of the weight I had lost. So, now begins another season of hard work to attempt to lose this weight again. But I’m realizing that it may be more important to gain a deeper understanding of what emotions I experienced during the crisis time and why I respond with eating (and eating and eating)!

Therefore, while I focus a lot of energy on the physical exercise it will require to get back in shape and lose (quite) a few pounds, I’m also trying to take the time to sit quietly before Jesus and learn to recognize the emotions that send me to the fridge for comfort. I picture this season as a “fallow” time as God restores some much needed truth to my soul so that my “field” (i.e., physical body) is renewed. I would like to invite you to be a part of this journey. I will be recording my discoveries in this blog and will keep you updated as to my progress. I will NOT share the pounds with you, but I will share the progress of returning to a healthy exercise regime and the spiritual lessons that I know God will be pouring into my heart. I would appreciate your prayers as I “bare my soul” here in my blog. I pray that God will bless all of us with His truths, strength, and comfort.

So, I’m off to go exercise. Pray for me…I need it!