I have heard that when our hearts are hungry that they will
accept anything, especially lies in the form of “love.”
I have a slightly different perspective of a hungry heart.
Growing up, my brothers, sister, and I always wanted a dog.
We thought it would be a great addition to our family. Besides that, dogs are
just awesome! When we finally got a dog, thanks to the baby brother’s incessant
requesting (side note: I am always amazed at how everyone can suggest something, but as soon as the baby of the family asks, it happens. This is not said in a grumbling way, but more as an aside. I am thankful for baby brothers. Plus, if you get them to ask, you have a 99% chance of a yes versus the 5% chance of a yes as the oldest child. haha), we were thrilled. Around the
same time, one of my friends also got a dog.
There was a big difference between
their beagle and ours; namely their dog was a beggar. That dog begged all the
time. He whined. He whimpered. He howled. He barked. He nosed. He pawed. He paced. He begged and begged and begged. He begged for the smallest table scrap of human food. The amazing thing was that unlike our dog, whose meals consisted of dog food, my friend's mom made their dog gourmet meals that used good cuts of meat, vegetables, et cetera. So here was a dog who had amazing meals prepared just for him of great quality and yet, he would beg for a chip or scraps of leftover meals or snacks from any available human.
I have found that my heart can act in the same manner. When
my heart is hungry, I can settle for table scraps instead of realizing that my
Father has set a table for me. A table at which I have a seat, a place of
prominence or importance, spread with the richness and bounty of
my Father’s provision. Items that have been untouched by other hands.
So, why then, when my heart is hungry, am I satisfied for
table scraps from those who are mere distractions in my life and nothing of
substance? I crave the one whose rib I carry, but am held transfixed by the
flitting of butterflies and the warmth of words that are meant for a moment but
do not carry the weight of a lifetime.
I know that I am not the only one who has walked through a season of having a hungry heart. It is a battle that many people face. It affects those who are single and those who are married. It does not discriminate by gender, race, or creed. A hungry heart can destroy all that we have lived for, worked for, and hoped for. When I find that my heart is hungry and I have turned to the words of those who are around me but are not for me, I am laid low. In that lowness, the soft whisper of God prevails, and I am reminded whose I am and who I am. I am reminded that although it can be hard and difficult to wait on God for the things that my heart desires, that I must yearn for God and be filled by the love of God first and foremost.
The love of God fills to the point of overflowing so that our hearts are no longer hungry and will no longer seek the words or actions of those whose "love" is not really love. It is, instead, words and actions of a selfish desire to get as much as they can in a moment without consequence of the future. I will not yield to those words or desires, seeking instead my God who loves me and who sets a table before me. I will wait on the courses He has prepared that will come to the table when they are ready and not before.
I pray that if you find yourself in a season of a hungry heart, that these words would find their way to you. That you would know that there is a love that never runs dry. There is a love that is more than can be imagined. There is a love that is selfless and pure; a love that says come and see what I have for you. Be filled with the love of God and stop running to others to fill an empty heart with words pouring out from another with only an empty heart to offer, as well.
