Staying Hydrated

As a Christian, and as a person for that matter, there are days when I handle life better than others. Sometimes the everyday annoyances and injustices can’t reach me and I continue marching on like the good little soldier I have been called to be. Other days, most other days, that is not the case. I wake up and step on a plastic block or train track, and I just know how the day is going to be. I forget something I meant to buy at the store, and you would think the house was on fire. I’m frequently guilty of letting stuff ruin my day. You probably are to, if not as often as I.

Recently, after one such day, I found myself desperately praying listing off all of the terrible grievances on my mind and detailing exactly how I would pretty please like God to fix them all. As I often do in prayer, I then allowed some time for God to respond in word or image or something. The crankier I am, the less time I’m quiet. This particular day, God’s response was instantaneous, which was good because he probably wouldn’t have had long before I returned to slogging through my day.

With images of sticky children laden with goldfish cracker crumbs, a song from long ago played across my mind.

“As the deer panteth for the water so my soul longeth after thee. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship thee. You alone are my strength my shield. To you alone may my spirit yield. You alone are my heart’s desire and I long to worship thee.”

That actually stopped me, and it lead me to truly reflect upon the day I had had. I don’t remember the details, but I can easily tell you it was probably full of a dozen or two frustrating circumstances that had all lead up to me wanting the world to come to screeching halt so I could catch up.

I looked up psalm 42, that verse the song comes from, and as I read, I felt myself slowly satisfied, calmed, and at peace.

“Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.”

My soul was thirsty and tired. I had been running to or from so many things for too long and I was out of breath. I was out of peace, and I was needing God. My soul was longing for him. My heart was desiring him. I needed strength and I needed shelter.

My soul is always longing for him. Longing to touch him and to feel him near me, to remember the truth of what I know in the midst of however I may feel.  My heart always desires him. I always need strength for something, and I always need shelter from something. The same way I wouldn’t go for a run without drinking water, I can’t go through a day thirsty and panting for the Spirit.

Like most people, I get cranky when I’m thirsty. I stop functioning well. My hands get shaky and my head starts pounding. I can’t sleep. My body is telling me it needs water. When my soul is thirsty, I get cranky. I can’t function. The task set before me goes from a steady walk to a sharp incline to scaling a cliff face. My spirit is telling me I need God.  

Another interesting fact about water is that the further into the desert you go, the more water you need to drink.

Spiritually, I’ve been in a desert for a while. It’s dry here and it’s hot. I’m tired and I’m weak. Sure there is beauty, but that won’t sustain me. It may keep my eyes off the ground for a moment, but it won’t save my life.

I often think I don’t have time to read my Bible, or maybe I’ll just skim a chapter real quick and that counts, right? Or I don’t have time to hear from God unless he’s really quick about it. The baby needs changing. The laundry needs folding. Emails need sending and errands need running. But I’m thirsty! So, so thirsty. Sure, I can slog my way through another day without spending time in the word or in prayer, I’ve done that many times. But it’s miserable. It’s painful. It’s not worth it when I come to the end of the day feeling like nothing went well and all my efforts were wasted and I can’t find any joy or peace under the hot dry desert sun.

I can tell I’m not the only one. People are frantic and stressed out and grumpy and are finding something wrong in everything every day. We’re all thirsty. Sadly most of us are dieing of thirst not even noticing the river beside us. But I know it’s there, so I have no excuse to live joylessly or void of peace no matter how far into the dessert I am lead.

When I’m quick to get angry, when I can’t find the good in someone, or some situation, when I’m anxious or fearful of things I have no control over, when the past keeps creeping up on me and I can’t look towards what’s ahead, when the path God has set me on feels impossible to walk, I know it’s because my soul is panting for God. I’m thirsty, and I just need a rest and a drink to remember who God is.  To remember what he is doing and why I trust him with all the little things that seem to be going wrong and all the big things that loom like volcanoes erupting.

When I finally see and touch God and feel him pouring life back into me, suddenly my desert has a little oasis in which I can find rest, gain strength, and prepare for more slogging tomorrow. Then it’s a much more joyful slogging. Then I slog with purpose and determination and peace.  Sometimes in life we must slog. And I would prefer to slog well hydrated.