Are you thirsty???

I think I'll live! I suspect I'll make it another day!! In fact, I'm certain I'm going to survive!!! "What the heck are you talking about?" I hear you asking me. Well, I rode today. For the first time in weeks I rode. It wasn't pretty and I only managed 11 miles before I knew I had to quit, but I rode. And as I rode this morning, God spoke to me. Not in that spectral voice where He announces to me that the world is about to end (although at some points during my ride I wished it would), but with a gentle nudging reminder of the importance of maintaining my spiritual health.

I drank a lot more water today than I normally do when I ride, because I found myself getting thirsty quicker and more often. The bottom line is that I'm out of shape! Remember my posts on One Prayer? Well my one prayer for the global Church is, Make us Thirsty. I'd post the video of the recording here but then you wouldn't watch it during the month of June so we'll just wait. I will however give you a tickler. Thirst is the body's built in "fuel gauge" to determine dangerously low fluid levels. If you allow your body fluid levels to run low, there are unpleasant symptoms that accompany dehydration, not the least of which are clammy skin, muscle spasms and "sandpaper" mouth. Further left unattended, these conditions could rapidly deteriorate into something much worse.

In taking care of my spirit, the same principles apply. I can be doing just fine in my committed prayer and bible study times. I can be growing in leaps and bounds spiritually, but if I take a break for whatever reason (the same way I've done with my excercise routine), I'll find myself rapidly retrogressing. I realized how much ground I'd lost when I was completely worn out by mile marker 5. How lame is that, considering my usual routine is a 20-mile circuit? So what's the early warning system or "fuel gauge" that indicates that you might be running on "spiritual empty"? The short answer is; your anger, your addictions, your depression, your loneliness, your bitterness, your fear... shall I continue? Laying off road-biking is tough for me physically, and the consequences are dire (especially to my waistline). As dire as the consequences are, they are nothing compared to the consequences that come with laying off my spiritual workout. So, my advice to you today (and I don't even charge like Dr. Phil): Hydrate! Keep your spiritual fluids going strong so that you don't run on empty. Are you thirsty?