Welcome back to the second part of our Tended Summer Series. If you missed Part 1, we spent some time talking about the importance of clearing the brush: getting rid of the things that clutter our hearts and steal our energy.
Now that we’ve made a little space, it’s time to talk about the one thing every garden needs during the heat: water.
In the high heat of summer, a garden can’t survive on the occasional rain shower alone. The sun is relentless. The ground starts to crack. The leaves begin to curl. If you want a garden that thrives, you have to be intentional. You have to show up every morning with a watering can or a hose and give those plants what they need to stay alive.
Our spirits are exactly the same. Life is loud, demanding, and often quite “hot.” We face the heat of deadlines, the friction of relationships, and the exhaustion of trying to do it all. Without a regular rhythm of “watering,” our hearts become brittle. We lose our peace. We get cranky, tired, and eventually, we stop growing.
The Promise of the Well-Watered Garden
There is a beautiful promise in Isaiah 58:11 that serves as our foundation for today:
“The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring.”
Notice that the promise isn’t just that we’ll get a tiny sip of water. God wants us to be well-watered. He wants us to be so full of His life that we become a spring for others. But as any gardener knows, a well-watered garden doesn’t happen by accident. It requires the discipline of the gardener to ensure the water actually reaches the roots.
In our walk of faith, those “watering” moments are what we call spiritual disciplines. Don’t let that word “discipline” scare you. It’s not about rules or being perfect. It’s simply the practice of showing up to the “well” so that God can pour back into you.
Watering vs. Misting: The Depth of Prayer
When I’m in a rush in the garden, sometimes I’m tempted to just mist the leaves of my plants and call it a day. It looks wet on the surface, and the plants look refreshed for about five minutes. But as soon as the sun hits them, that water evaporates. The roots: where the life actually happens: stayed dry.
Many of us do this with our prayer lives. We “mist” our day with a quick “Lord, help me get through this meeting” or a “God, bless this food.” There’s nothing wrong with those quick prayers, but they aren’t enough to sustain us through a long, hot season.
Deep watering requires time. It’s about letting the water soak down into the deep places of our heart.
Deep prayer is where we stop talking for a moment and just sit in God’s presence. It’s where we tell Him the truth about how tired we are, how scared we might be, or how much we need His guidance. When we take that intentional time: even if it’s just 10 minutes in the morning before the house wakes up: we are soaking the roots of our spirit. We are giving ourselves a reservoir of peace to draw from when the day gets stressful.
Nourishing the Roots: The Soil of Scripture
Water is vital, but a garden also needs good soil. Over time, soil can lose its nutrients. It becomes “dead.” In gardening, we add compost or organic matter to keep the soil healthy so the plants can actually absorb the water we give them.
For us, the Word of God is that nourishment. Scripture is what gives our lives “good ground.” When we read the Bible, we aren’t just reading a book of rules; we are feeding our minds with the truth.
The world tells us we aren’t enough. The world tells us to be afraid. The world tells us that our value is based on what we produce. If those are the only “nutrients” we have in our soil, our plants will grow up weak. But when we replace those lies with Scripture, our soil becomes rich. We start to believe what God says about us: that we are loved, that we are chosen, and that He has a purpose for our lives.
If you don’t know where to start, keep it simple. Read one Psalm a day. Let one verse sit in your heart like a seed. Think about it while you’re driving or doing the dishes. That is how you “steward the soil” of your soul.
The Discipline of Rest: Finding the Shade
In the middle of a summer heatwave, the best thing a gardener can do for themselves is find some shade. You can’t work in the direct sun forever without burning out.
Spiritually, rest is a discipline. It feels like “doing nothing,” but in God’s economy, rest is an act of trust. It’s saying, “Lord, the world can keep turning without me for an hour. I trust that You are the one who provides, not just my hard work.”
Rest allows the “watering” we’ve done through prayer and Scripture to actually settle. It gives our bodies and minds a chance to catch up. Whether it’s a Sabbath day or just a “Sabbath hour” where you put the phone away and sit on your porch, rest is how we prevent our spirits from becoming brittle.
The Fruits of a Well-Tended Spirit
When we practice these simple disciplines: prayer, scripture, and rest: something amazing happens. We start to see “fruit.”
In the garden, this looks like the herbs we grow. They aren’t just there to look pretty; they have a purpose. They heal, they flavor, and they refresh. A belief of The Tended Ground is that the herbs we harvest are the physical result of the spiritual lessons we learn in the dirt.
This week, I’ve been working with a lot of Hibiscus and Mint. These two plants are perfect teachers for this season. Hibiscus is known for its ability to help the body handle stress and support heart health. Mint is naturally cooling and refreshing. Together, they make a tea that feels like a cold glass of water for a thirsty soul.
As you drink this tea, let it be a reminder of the “watering” your spirit needs. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t grow in dry ground. Take the time this week to water your spirit. Your peace is worth the discipline.
The Recipe: Hibiscus & Mint Iced Tea
This is a simple, beautiful drink that we love to keep in the fridge all summer long. It’s tart, refreshing, and deeply cooling. It’s a physical way to practice that “rest” we talked about.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dried Hibiscus flowers (These give the tea its deep red color and tart flavor).
- 1/4 cup fresh Mint leaves (A big handful from the garden).
- 4 cups water
- Honey or Maple Syrup (Optional, to taste).
- Ice and fresh lime slices for serving.
Instructions:
- Boil: Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot.
- Steep: Turn off the heat. Add the dried hibiscus flowers and the fresh mint. Cover the pot and let it steep for about 10–15 minutes. The water will turn a brilliant, deep ruby red.
- Sweeten: If you like your tea a little sweet, stir in your honey or maple syrup while the tea is still warm so it dissolves easily.
- Strain: Pour the tea through a fine-mesh strainer into a glass pitcher, discarding the flowers and mint leaves.
- Chill: Let it cool to room temperature, then place it in the fridge until cold.
- Serve: Fill a tall glass with ice, pour in the tea, and garnish with a fresh sprig of mint and a slice of lime.
As you take your first sip, take a deep breath. Thank God for the “living water” He provides. Remember that you are a garden, and you are being tended by the best Gardener there is.
Stay refreshed, friends. We’ll see you next week for Part 3!
The Tended Ground 
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