I Was Thirsty

Thirsty and I didn’t even know it.

It began with a realization in church one day and a quiet, barely even whispered prayer.

As I was looking around it dawned on me that for many of my fellow church-goers, this was enough. They were emotional during worship, and they were focused and intent on listening during the sermon. And I wasn’t.

I always loved being at church but at that moment and probably for months before, my heart wasn’t in it. I closed my eyes and acknowledged this to the Almighty. I didn’t ask for anything, it was more of a confession and sadness. I wanted so much more.

I thought about that moment recently as the winds of change and turmoil swirled around me.

God heard me that day. And He graciously made me see my need for Him again.

Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy.  Proverbs 14:10 NLT

Are you in a holding pattern, a waiting period? Do you know what you are waiting for? Or does it seem like God just isn’t doing anything in your life right now? Do you feel forgotten?

This was me.

I was thirsty. Thirsty for His power and activity in my life.

Sadly, I had made my life work without Him, again. There was no adventure and no excitement. There was just the even keel. Which for so many is the goal.

But for me, it meant that I wasn’t hearing from Him, again.

And then God shook things up. He reminded me how prone I am to wander. He pulled the rug out from under me to get me back on my knees seeking Him.

I had been a Christian for twenty years by this time and still, He had so much to teach and reteach me during that summer of 2015. The list is long. He was incredibly patient with me and in each lesson.

Lessons to Remember

  • Be holy because God is holy!
  • Healthy is holy.
  • Fear the Lord and nothing/no one else.
  • Don’t rob God. Trust Him. Live generously.
  • Be one with your husband. Pray together!
  • Love. Love. Love. With no favoritism. Take care of others just as you would yourself.
  • Be humble. Humble yourself so God won’t have to do it for you.
  • Go. Live for heaven not earth. Live Brave!
  • Life is Rough, just keep living day by day. Life is Rough but every day can be beautiful.
  • A life of worry is an incredibly difficult one, although most of its troubles I’ll never actually live. So stop worrying.
  • If you’re reading this then as of today you have made it through 100 percent of your worst days.
  • Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.  Psalm 144:1
  • Marriage: Concern yourself with your character and your spouse’s needs. Not the other way around.
  • At the start of any problem, you have to decide what outcome you desire. Do you want to just solve the problem or do you want to know God better through it? Because that is going to define how you respond. Do you just find a solution to the problem or do you trust God and let him find the solution? His way always takes longer. It’s harder. But so much better and when he comes to your aid, and He will, you will find the solution and the overwhelming presence of your King.

There is just so much for me to think about as I read and re-read this list. This list is my focus now, it’s what I’ll be writing about and hoping to implement in my life. This list is Life to me.

God showed up in my life and started wooing me with grand gestures exactly twenty years ago. By 1996 I had surrendered all I was to Him. When my passion waned and I sought Him on the matter, He showed me the problem. I didn’t know Him well enough.

The summer of 2015 was the start of a new walk. He took me by the hand and led me onto the narrow path. His voice became more real and constant. Nothing in my relationship has been as earth-shaking as that time with Him.

I was thirsty and He gave me Living Water.

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