Watered While Watering
Earlier today, I was going through it. Nothing catastrophic, just a stack of things pressing in at once. A different kind of work week. Leadership transitions. Emotions sitting closer to the surface than usual. I could feel it in my body. So I did what I’ve learned to do. I asked a friend for prayer. I ate something. I took a nap. And that helped. It really did. I felt more regulated, more steady. But what actually shifted the tone of my day happened later.
On a long drive, I felt a quiet nudge to start calling a few members of my small group. There was no agenda. I wasn’t checking attendance. I wasn’t following up on anything. I just thought, “Let me see how they’re doing.” Each call was simple. A quick hello. A few questions. On one of them, I paused and prayed. What surprised me wasn’t their gratitude, though they were all genuinely grateful. What surprised me was what started happening inside of me.
Somewhere in the middle of those conversations, I felt lighter. Clearer. More like myself. And I was reminded of Proverbs 11:25: “Whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.” I’ve read that verse before. I’ve quoted it. But that afternoon, I experienced it.
The image that came to mind was a watering can. When you water a garden, the water doesn’t just touch the flowers. It runs through the spout. It splashes. It dampens your hands. The one pouring doesn’t stay dry. Maybe that’s what this verse is pointing to. It’s not just that the person you bless turns around and blesses you back. It’s that when you allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you, you are refreshed in the pouring.
Practically, I think this shows up in a few ways.
First, refreshing others reactivates purpose. Earlier in the day, I felt overwhelmed and slightly disoriented. But when I began encouraging someone else, something in me aligned again. I’m wired to strengthen people. I’m wired to pray, to check in, to shepherd. There’s an old line I love: How do you know if someone needs encouragement? Are they breathing? The truth is, most people are carrying more than they show, and sometimes stepping into that space for someone else reawakens something steady inside of you. When that wiring sits idle for too long, I feel off. When it flows, I feel grounded. Sometimes refreshment isn’t about adding something new; it’s about stepping back into who you are.
Second, refreshing others widens your perspective without denying your own pain. I didn’t skip prayer. I didn’t pretend I was fine. I rested first. I received first. But when I started thinking about someone else’s needs, my world expanded. My problems didn’t vanish; they just stopped being the only thing I could see. Encouraging someone else gently reminded me that I’m part of something bigger than my current emotion.
Third, refreshing others creates spiritual circulation. If love only flows out, you burn out. If love only flows in, you stagnate. But when it flows through you, something comes alive. Encouraging someone else often strengthens your own faith. Praying for someone else often steadies your own heart. It’s not transactional. It’s not manipulative. It’s design. God designed us so that when His Spirit moves through us, we don’t just pour out. We are strengthened in the pouring.
By the end of those calls, I felt peaceful and fulfilled. Not because I was needed, but because I was reminded. Reminded of the blessing I carry. Reminded of the joy of simple connection. Reminded that loving deeply is not a liability when it has rhythm and health behind it.
If you’re feeling heavy today, don’t skip the basics. Eat. Rest. Ask for prayer. Receive first. But once you’re steady, consider this: who can you refresh? You may discover that as you water someone else’s garden, the Holy Spirit refreshes your own heart in ways you didn’t expect.
