Hungering

I'm sitting here today in NC overlooking the Trent river and a host of boats locked into the marina. And I'm hungry. Since I have no transportion, two choices prevail. One, I can either open up the Rubbermaid container of "goodies" I brought with me (which consists of a couple of slices of pound cake, 2 blueberry/banana nut muffins, fresh roasted cashews, a couple of nature valley bars, and best of all, some roasted almond "silky smooth" milk chocolate), OR, I can don some walking shoes and take off for downtown where there are numerous eating establishments that would offer a full meal. The first requires no activity -- and little nourishment. The second offers satisfaction -- with a bit of time and effort.

Sounds a little like my spiritual life at times. When I'm hungry, I can go for the junk food and "snack" on things that offer little reward and even less satisfaction. Self-effort for one. Church work. Dead traditionalism. Legalism. I've certainly gotten fat on all of these and more. Or I can make my meal off of that which really nourishes -- a relationship with Jesus; time spent with Him. Just like I feed my body daily for physical growth, so my spiritual "body" needs food, too. 2 Cor. 4:16 says that our inner man is renewed day by day, but therein lies the stipulation. I must come to Him -- daily -- for that nourishment. It is then that He feeds me with His very presence, and in essence, restores my soul and fills a longing -- a hunger, if you will. Truth is it takes effort. It doesn't just happen by opening up a box of goodies. Sometimes I have to put on my walking shoes. But after all, that's what I'm truly hungry for.

Now where did I pack those Keds...

Just an ordinary moment.