dailydatewithgod

For most of us, knowledge of true physical thirst is something we will thankfully never have to experience.  Definitely something to be grateful for but it makes it sometimes hard to understand what it is like to yearn for a freshness or long for replenishment.  Most spiritual people have experienced a desert time in their lives and perhaps you have too.  It is a time of dryness and going without. It is a time of deprivation of water of life and a longing to be refreshed.  It provides a greater appreciation for the simple things of life such as water and cool air.  Having grown up in the desert and been out on a hiking trail without enough water, I have experienced some of this physically.  I still remember the day of fasting we had in school.  To raise awareness for hunger in 5th grade we all agreed not to eat for 24 hours–I didn’t think I would make it. 😉  In my religious practice fasting is used regularly as a preparation for greater connection with God.  While uncomfortable at first, there is something very primal about going without basic necessities of food and water that bring into focus what is really important in life.  We all experience times of emotional, spiritual and mental dryness.  We have times when we cannot see the forest through the trees or feel abandoned by all that we know and love.  And while we often shake our heads or scream at the universe, if we are open we notice a quietness that is present in our hearts.  Out in the desert we are able to see more clearly where we stand with our relationship with God and with ourselves.  When we are alone and dried out, there is no where else to run.  It is then that there is space for God to enter.  Actually, since God is not outside of us it would be a drinking from the fountain of love within our own hearts.  My prayer for us today is that we pause and acknowledge an area of thirsting in our lives so that we might have the courage to go to the well within.  Make it a great one!  Peace~Colleen