'My soul thirsts for you'

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

-Psalm 63:1

As a longtime runner, I've been thirsty. Very thirsty.

More important than physical thirst, though, is quenching the thirst for something beyond ourselves. We've all been there - a dry and weary place in our lives, where it seems there is no water.

Better than water, though, is our ultimate thirst quencher, our ultimate electrolyte. God is with you, even in those lands and in those times.

'I am the bread of life'

Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty."

-John 6:35

And of course, "hungry" and "thirsty" aren't limited to the literal - who isn't hungry for answers after a stroke, or thirsty for relief of the stress that can stroke to a stroke survivor or a caregiver.

Last Sunday, we had communion at Community United Methodist Church in Columbia, Mo. The bread and drink were in no way able to relieve any literal, physical hunger or thirst. But it brought to our attention the more important matters of feeding the soul.

If you don't have a church home, find a place that helps feed your own soul.



(Image from rthmhlds on Photobucket)

Thirsty? Find your ultimate electrolyte

O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

-Psalm 63:1

I've been increasing my miles lately in my running schedule, and have been extremely thirsty from time to time. If you run long distances - say, 90 minutes or more - and drink only water, there's a chance you'll actually harm yourself, with something called hyponatremia.
That's why runners drink Gatorade or similar products. It's about electrolytes, the substances such as sodium and potassium that help your body retain fluids and may prevent muscle cramps. If you run, you sweat. Sweat contains electrolytes, and if you sweat too much without replacing electrolytes, you suffer. In severe cases, people have died.
Struggling with the aftermath of a stroke can lead to a thirsty soul. So consider this: Water is good. But your faith can lead you to your ultimate electrolyte.