Do you ever feel a bit soul-starved?
The feeling comes in the moment when the swirling activity of the day slows to a gentle simmer; when babies are tucked into footie jammies; when big kids lay their heads on fluffy pillows and read a few pages by the light of a flashlight; and when the laundry is piled aside, the dishes stacked away, the books shelved.
Undistracted at last, the deep places of the heart call out for comfort.
The hazy road ahead causes fear to arise, or perhaps just anticipation of the days that have not yet begun and which refuse to tell the story of how they will end.
Sometimes, this melancholy leaves an aching for the past, its familiarity being the main thing that recommends it.
It can be tempting to distact the ache with social media, a new project, a movie, or some sort of activity.
But a hungry soul truly needs only one thing: hope.
Stories of triumph, tales of good winning over evil, lines of words that remind us that there is nobility and courage left in the world, and not to fear what is difficult; these are what can satisfy our longing.
Feast on the stories of Ruth the Moabitess, Joseph saving Egypt, and Moses leading the children of Israel. Treasure and hold the tales of The Princess who finds her way using a magic thread, a Hobbit who bravely destroys evil, a little girl who learns to love.
But all of these are only the reflection of the One from whom hope springs. Jesus conquered the greatest mountains, He clung to and served the most bitter of us all, after being rejected He is the Savior of all who will listen to him, He leads all those who follow Him to freedom, He loves beyond all darkness and evil to save even the smallest of us.
Look around and see that there is so much good in the world, because the good God of love has made a way, shone a light, and is calling His children homeward.
A hungry soul simply needs to remember the stories and relight the lamp of hope with the Light of the World. No soul can starve when it is filled with the hope of God Himself. There is sweet satisfaction in Him.
