“I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I muse on the work of Your hands.
I spread out my hands to You;
My soul longs for You like a thirsty land.
Selah.”
(Psalm 143:5-6, NKJV)
State lines mark off the miles as Dad drives the car back home, and I, in the backseat, pull out my computer. There is something I need to remember.
Imagine, if you can, 100 young people sharing faith and food and laughter in the fellowship hall morning and evening. Mothers stand in a circle on the playground and pray over their children, and the young people wake up early to huddle backstage and pray. Each time before the meetings begin, we stand and sing the theme song, making the log rafters ring. “Lord, take us, use us; we give ourselves fully to You…”
On Friday night, as stars sprinkle the sky, we circle the piano, voices raised once again with a passion deeper than life itself. Sabbath afternoon we load into 15 cars and head out to go door-to-door throughout the whole town. Three hours and 3,500 books later there’s more energy than when we left.
But my words still cannot paint a beautiful enough picture of the past week.
I’ve been to campmeetings and retreats before. They always move my heart, but when my heart is especially thirsty for more of Jesus, it does all the more so.
When the weekend is over and we leave for home, the first place we stop at is Walmart. I am hardly out of the car before my heart begins to ache: the rat race that life is, the blaring music, children screaming about their Halloween costumes, the groaning, weary world, all the people, eyes full of emptiness and longing. Oh, if only you would go where I’ve just been…
Let me ask you today: how thirsty is your heart? Sometimes I think that thirsty place is just where we’re supposed to be, because that’s what drives us closer to Jesus and what moves us to reach out to the hurting world.
I’m thirsty. And you?
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