Obey your thirst

I’m thirsty. I mean strangely and urgently thirsty. I could go for a tall drink of water at just about any given moment and until my thirst is quenched, I am fixed on getting another refill. It’s been going on for a while and could be part of pregnancy or just southern summer living; but what’s interesting is that I wasn’t aware of this insatiable thirst until today. Back from vacation and beat from readjusting to our normal routine, I foraged in the kitchen, looking for something to satisfy. Nothing seemed appetizing. Fresh fruit? Ham sandwich? Chocolate? No thanks. Running errands, I kept thinking of how easy and refreshing it would be to drive through somewhere for something, but no menu had what I was craving. Finally I came home, put Liam down for a nap, and sat down to a glass of ice water – ahhh… there it is. Simple and perfect. Just what I needed.

And so it goes with my soul. I’m a busy person, an enthusiastic do-er. I love making a list and checking tasks off. These days, I’ve occupied myself with home improvements and nesting – both of which are big thrills for me (as evidenced by my Nesting Notes below). When I complete one item, I glance at my To Do Today List and start another. Phone calls, laundry loads, eager trips to Target. The only thing I really put off is folding and putting away clothes 🙂 Today I checked off everything I had planned, but I still felt an inner nagging as if I had left something unfinished. The floors were clean, the dishes done, as well as other chores, what else could I possibly have to do? Just like earlier when the only thing my body wanted was water, the only thing my soul wants is Living Water. Nothing else will satisfy.

The rector of our parish delivered a strong homily on Pentecost Sunday about the image of the Holy Spirit as water. Images of the Holy Spirit as fire or a dove are pretty common, but considering water brings a different understanding of Who the Holy Spirit is and what He provides. The Holy Spirit inspires and ignites like fire, but also calms and brings peace as with water. The last line of the second reading on Sunday said, “We were all given to drink of the one Spirit,” and I feel like I can’t get enough. In our room we have framed the initial verses of Psalm 63 written in calligraphy, “Oh God, you are my God – for you I long! … for you my soul thirsts, like a land parched, lifeless, and without water.” Life can’t be furthered without water and the spiritual life is no exception. Hands down, my favorite part of the homily on Sunday was when Father quoted St. Iranaeus:

Like dry flour, which cannot become one lump of dough, one loaf of bread, without moisture, we who are many could not become one in Christ Jesus without the water that comes down from heaven…we need the dew of God.

Without water, flour can’t become bread and feed others. It just sits there without serving a purpose. But add moisture, throw it in a hot oven, and flour can provide and further life for others. How can I serve and love my family if I have no Spirit? It’s amazing how a soul will be so parched as to drink the sand of a mirage, just because it doesn’t know any different. In my physical thirst I scoured the kitchen for the one thing I wanted and in my spiritual thirst, I busied myself with tasks and To-Dos hoping to find some fulfillment; when really the solution was so simple. I have re-started Introduction to the Devout Life by St. Francis de Sales (written for married laity so it’s perfect!) and I’m continuing to invite the grace of God to take over my restlessness. My soul will never find peace without the Holy Spirit, just like St. Augustine wrote “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” God is the Sole Satisfier.

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Weekly Snapshot:

• We learned a couple of weeks ago that our new little one is a BOY! I am SO excited to be the mother of two fun, rough-n-tumble little boys. What an honor! I’ve been hovering around the Boys Bedroom aisle at Target (they will eventually share) and glowing at the idea of introducing them, “These are our sons…” SO exciting. Dinosaurs, airplanes, mud and sticks – I can’t WAIT!
• We went on vacation with my family to Lake Okoboji in Iowa last week. I’m about 750 miles from my parents, my sister, and her family (and now officially 4,000 miles from my brother and his family in Alaska who couldn’t make it because of their recent move) so seeing them is always exciting and refreshing. We spent the week on the lake, went to a theme park nearby, took a cruise one evening, and went swimming or played Apples to Apples in any down time. Liam LOVED being with “big kids” and since we’ve come home, he’s even more vocal than he was before.

Dinnertime with Liam…and Jesus (the picture of whom is in a corner of the dining room) 🙂

Nesting Notes (just for fun):

After we learned that our new baby is a boy, I drafted what was initially a short list of home To-Dos – deadline October 15, the Little Man’s due date. Needless to say, I’m still adding to the endless scroll of tasks, which is organized by room – even the hallway. I’m proud to report that several items are totally checked off, one of which the most daunting and that was the linen closet. It used to be folded chaos of sheets, towels, table cloths with my sewing kit buried, the humidifier hidden, and Andrew’s tool box – YIKES. I’m happy to say that it has since been transformed to clear organization. I fold a set of sheets and then put them all in one corresponding pillow case. On Clean Sheets Day, I just grab a pillow case and BADA BING! it already has everything in it. This arrangement is superior to rummaging through trying to find all the matching pieces. Simple and easy. I wish I could claim this ingenuity as my own, but really I got the idea from my space-saving-savvy sister 🙂 Folks, I could really REALLY get used to this. The rush is fantastic.