By Ariane Williams

I wondered if the sun would ever come out again. I guess that I did not appreciate the power of the sun while it was shining. Now, I am stuck with days of soaking. I sat by the window; I scrolled through my weather app in hopes to find multiple glimpses of the sun. I only found illustrations of raindrops and thunderstorms.

There comes a time in our journey that we step into the desert feeling thirsty, in need of raindrops and thunderstorms. A thunderstorm is a collection of moisture, unstable air and a lift. Therefore, in the midst of our desert places, we must be willing to stand when instability tries to control our journey with the unexpected winds of life. Just like a thunderstorm, you will rise in this season of your life and soak in the green pastures.

For the past two weeks, I had to plan on how to move through all the weird rain. We allow the raindrops and thunderstorms of life to determine how we are going to move; however, we must strategically plan how we need to move around some things in the midst of trying to reach our green pastures so that we can lie down in our green pastures. We tend to lose control over the things that we cannot control just like the weather.

Psalm 23:2 states, “He makes lie down in green pastures.” Therefore, He is pressing me through my situations. He is making me face my life. He is making you face your life. For some reason, I used to be afraid of that scripture, but now I see the beauty in that scripture. The scripture is not focusing on death; the scripture is focusing on living. A pasture refers to a person soaking into the situations of life. Just because you are soaking does not mean that you are just sitting with no movement. Just as the dirt from a soaking sponge surfaces to the top, so will the dirt that is trying to hold you down and crush your vision.

It was during this time of soaking that my spirit was being challenged by emotions; it was being shifted by the focus of my physical vision. I was fighting with faith. I wanted to feel the fullness of the grass underneath my feet, so I stepped into the soaking wet grass. For a moment, I wanted to move; however, my toes reaching into the ground felt accepting to my spirit. As I stood in the middle of my yard, my spiritual vision adopted my physical vision as I felt moisture, I felt a little wobbly, and I felt lifted. I was experiencing a thunderstorm transformation.

Ever wondered why children like taking baths? Children recognize that soaking is needed during times of transition, transformation and shifting. In the physical, soaking allows you to remove toxins. In the spiritual, soaking allows you to lie down in your green pastures, to lift your head, and to see the expansion of your identity in the Kingdom. A quick rinse does not always remove the dirt, so stop rushing the process. Take some time to soak off the unnecessary issues in your life that are keeping you dirty.

It is critical to practice the spiritual art of soaking. It seemed as if we were living in everlasting rain for the last couple of weeks, but we were just positioning ourselves for the sun to shine on our path. Your pastures may seem like they are tearing you down, but your pastures will nourish every dry area of your life. He gives us a command to lie down in green pastures. Go eat from your green pastures; your whole life is there.

Write out Psalm 23:2. Enjoy a physical bath. Shift away from what you see in the physical to see your spiritual assignment in the green pastures. Your soaking will reveal the toxins in your life. This week, place a blanket on the grass and rest your back on it. Position your head towards the sky. Close your eyes. Float into that vision. If you can see it; you can grab it.

Ariane Williams is a teacher, minister, published author and liturgical dancer. Email her at arianewilliams810@yahoo.com.