Did you know that ground that has been trampled on continuously over time takes both patience and passion to come alive again?

That concept was on a sign at the base of the trail I had just finished hiking out here in the desert valley. It was meant to spark a spirit of conservation among fellow park participants like me. But I saw it more in spiritual terms.

Do you feel like your life and your heart have been trampled on this year by unwelcome trespassers? Do you sense an erosion in your soul as people have ripped through the pathway to your spirit? Do you wonder when the broken ground in your life will be fruitful again—if ever?

I know I do, and I am guessing many of you do as well.

During times when our life is hard, when everything seems like it is against us, when we feel like a barren wasteland, stripped of our energy, our purpose, our worth, it is very difficult to see the Lord trying so patiently and so passionately to conserve our very lives with His love and care.

It’s so gradual sometimes that we don’t see it. But He is restoring the ground of our souls, planting good things in places that have been torn up.

We might still look dry and cracked, but new life is on its way. It’s just a matter of time.

— Laura J. Bagby