an appetite for Him

Matt preached a sermon a few weeks ago in Micheline's church I've never heard him preach before.  He talked about the similarities, differences and cultural significance between the feeding of the 5000 and the feeding of the 4000 in the Gospel of Mark.  It was all so interesting, but one of the little things he mentioned that has stuck with me was the idea of hunger.

Our dear guard dog and friend Boone had been terribly sick at the time, and even when we offered him his very favorite foods, he wasn't interested.  At one point, he actually got up (which was so hard for him) to move AWAY from a bowl of chicken because he was so sick that it was bothering him.

Matt talked about how hunger--a need and desire to eat--shows us that we are healthy and alive.  He reminded us with tears of Micheline's little girl who died our first Christmas in Haiti, dying slowly and painfully of untreated stomach cancer.  He talked about how tiny her little arms were, how shrunken her little legs, and about how he was urgent and anxious to feed her, and how she wouldn't eat...didn't want to eat...

We are hungry because we are alive and well.

Are we spiritually hungry?

Jesus came for the hungry, came for the sick, and all throughout Scriptures He was offering Himself, the daily bread, the living water.  But there were so many people who were SO spiritual and SO righteous, that they didn't feel any need for Jesus.  They didn't feel any hunger pains, so spiritually sick and dead they were, and while he offered and showed and gave himself, there were many who simply didn't have any desire for him.  They were not hungry.

I get like that.  

Get all busy and passionate and fulfilled and ministry-focused, or get all family-happy or visitor-busy or super-teacher and before you know it I kind of forget how hungry I am and cruise along on fumes.

After such a busy visitor season, and honestly just such a busy LIFE season...I'm spiritually hungry, and wanting MORE.

Not more ministry or more fulfillment or anything like that.  Just more Jesus, thank you.

Just more more more of Him and way less of what all the world is thinking and definitely way less of what I think and feel and determine.

Check yourself with me today...are we spiritually content?  Spiritually satisfied?  Don't push back from the table, wandering off to find something to entertain us.

If you're not hungry for more of Him right now in your life, I have asked Him many times before to make me hungry for more of Him, and even helping us want more of Him, He is ready to do.

Meanwhile, these last few days have been whirlwind good.  My dad and his wife, Cindy, were here for a few days...joining us for mission prayer meeting, student dinner night, the big soccer game, and even a beautiful overnight at the beach.  The added beach bonus was that Uncle Martin, Aunt Sharon and Isaac are here for some meetings and we met up with them there!  So fun to have everyone together and the girls LOVED all the love.  And sand.  LOTS of sand.

Dad and Cindy left for Ohio today, and Matt left for Texas today, spending the week in Waco for EBS board meetings with our fantastic board, and the Mishlers drug themselves away from the shore and are staying with us for a few days!

We did lose our dear Boone--don't want to talk about it--and found this little Rotweiller to train up...meet Sadie girl.