Psalm 42: 1-2
As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God.My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
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Dear Friend,

I remember when I started to thirst for God. I was in my mid-20s.

When I was a little girl, I was outside with my grandmother and had a balloon that was filled with helium. Somehow the balloon's string slipped between my fingers and the balloon took off into the sky. I told my grandmother, "That's okay. God can have it." Then, I knew of God, but there was no real thirst for Him. That was a special time of innocence for me and while I felt there was a creator of peoples, I had no real concern for or desire to know Him. I was just living a carefree life, as most children do.

In my teens, I read the bible some, but I didn't attend church much. While my life wasn't as carefree, I still did not have a thirst for God inside me. I wanted Him in my life, but the desire for Him was not as strong as it could have been.

It wasn't until I was in my mid-20s, after having lived a life without God in my life, that I started to thirst for Him. One day, I just got a feeling that I wanted more. I had stopped some of my bad habits, but I wanted more. My life was missing something and I knew exactly what it was. God was not in it. He wanted to be. He needed to be.

I have taken long walks on very hot days. Once I reached my destination, I was extremely thirsty. I'd drink water, but no matter how much I drunk within the first few minutes, it never seemed to be enough. I was still thirsty for more. That's what the thirst for God became like for me.

I started praying, attending church, and surrounding myself with believers. My spiritual life was healthier which made my whole life better. I became a happier person, filled with so much joy. I started smiling more than I had my entire life.

I got to know God and while He already knows me, I felt more comfortable sharing my most intimate thoughts with Him. I found rest in Him and since, my life has never been the same.

Psalm 34:8Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Getting to know Him, my soul was satisfied, but just as I still thirsted for water after long walks, the thirst for God remains. I crave more of Him daily.

Are you, my friend, thirsty?
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Ayana E.
http://www.mychurch.org/ayanaelon