Spiritually Hangry

by Nannette Foster

I forgot to eat this morning. Again.

What happened? I used to be a breakfast person. Best meal of the day and all.

Instead I stare down at my freshly ground fair-trade Sumatran coffee as if its betrayed me. Coffee IS an appetite suppressant. How dare it be so yummy, yet entirely devoid of nutrients. Jerk.

Maybe it's my 5yr old's fault for distracting me. Oh! Or the 5 month old with her cute, chunky dimpled cheeks demanding my attention.

When in doubt, blame the baby! All moms have earned that mantra. Forever.

I mean, seriously...how adorably distracting are these two faces?!

To make it worse, I'm eating for two.

No, I'm not pregnant (thank you, Jesus). But I am breastfeeding. I didn't learn until after I had Emerald that a nursing woman needs MORE calories than a pregnant woman.

Mind. Blown.

Maybe that's why my formerly woozy response to lack of food has become sudden and full-blown HANGRY in recent months.

I thought that my body's need for nutrients would diminish after pregnancy. Boy, was I wrong! In fact, the bigger my baby grows, the more I seem to need to eat to meet her increased appetite.

Obviously.

So why, with the awareness of science and a decent amount of common sense, am I having such a hard time filling myself up with good, nutrient rich food throughout the day lately? Especially considering my mediocre eating habits have been resulting in cranky, impatient behavior, with a large helping of energy depletion. What mom needs LESS energy?

Seriously. Get it together, lady.

I feel a familiar Holy Spirit nudge and am reminded that what is happening spiritually often manifests in the natural.

Oh, right.

Recently I mentioned to my husband, Jay, that I have been feeling dry this week and it's made for several SUPER frustrating attempts at writing a blog post. Not to mention extended computer issues, self-imposed deadline pressure, and trying-yet-failing to be fully available to family and friends.

Spiraling downward, I found myself sucked into an all-too familiar place.

OVERWHELM.

"I can't do this. Why is everything too much? Everything was flowing great last week. Now I feel completely derailed and dry. What HAPPENED? Where is God? Why can't I get a moment of peace?

If one more person tries to add to my suddenly full plate... Oh dang...COVER THAT MOUTH!"

Ugh! I thought I had learned this lesson.

Let's see...

Trust God. Check

Stay in step with Holy Spirit. Mostly check

Eyes on Jesus. Right...

To avoid Overwhelm, Operate from OVERFLOW. Oops...there it is

Have you ever seen a milk drunk baby? Chances are you're grinning right now. It's the cutest, sweetest inebriated state in the world. (OK, it's the ONLY cute inebriated state in the world.) That look of unparalleled contentment says, I've tasted, and enjoyed, and had my fill. Now I'm a happy baby.

Compare that to a hungry baby who needs to eat...10 minutes ago!

Now, consider the spiritual equivalent of operating on full vs. empty.

When my spirit is deliciously filled to the point of overflow, it looks like joy and love and abundance that extends effortlessly to those around me.

On the other hand, my spiritually empty = spiritually HANGRY.

As an adult, you don't have someone setting your schedule, planning your (spiritual or physical) meals, or setting aside time for you to rest. It's probably up to you to make that happen, not only for yourself, but for the adorable little dependents in your life.

Let me throw out a wild guess-you tend to pour yourself out BEFORE filling up.

You'd be in good company. Including yours truly.

Giving from a dry, empty spirit is not only tiring, it's entirely unsustainable.

As much as I am enjoying my current building season, I am learning that it is not only unwise to give from an empty place. It is impossible to nurture a God-given dream from a place of spiritual deprivation.

Pouring into my dry, thirsty soul, Holy Spirit drive this point home:

Heaven-sent callings can only be birthed and nursed from a place of spiritual OVERFLOW.

"My cup overflows..."*

Like many staples of Christian culture, the Psalm 23 I memorized in Sunday school as a child feels comfortable, like a well-worn hat rather than the masterfully crafted, gem-studded crown it is.

Deciding I'd better take in the familiar passage with fresh eyes, I look it up in The Passion Translation (more a transliteration) on my YouVersion phone app.

"You become my delicious feast even when my enemies dare to fight. You anoint me with the fragrance of your Holy Spirit; you give me all I can drink of you until my heart overflows." 

Whew! Talk about passion.

These are words written from a heart OVERFLOWING. King David, the shepherd-turned-king that God called "a man after his own heart"* clearly KNEW his source of life and power.

In Psalm 1, David puts it like this:

"What delight comes to the one who follows God's ways! ...His/her pleasure and passion is remaining true to the Word of 'I AM,' meditating day and night in the true revelation of light. He/she will be standing firm like a flourishing tree, planted by God's design, deeply rooted by the brooks of bliss, bearing fruit in every season ."*

What about you?

Like me, do you flip-flop between a sense of destiny and dry? Maybe you are doing your best at self-care through some combination of bath, wine, gym, yoga, smoothie, Disney+ , and chocolate (insert your personal go-to here).

There is nothing wrong with these things. Some of them are darn-right healthy and you should continue them for your physical and mental health.

But all of these good things have one thing in common.

They are TEMPORARY.

Jesus says, Come to me. Drink from me. I will give you living water from a well that NEVER RUNS DRY.*

I don't know about you, but I'm TIRED of running dry over and over again. I'm DONE scraping by on my own energy and my own coping mechanisms. My spirit needs MORE!

Why insist on drinking from the shallow, contaminated well of depleted energy reserves when the river of living water is ours for the taking?

Breakthrough Challenge

1. Commit to a morning practice for 7 days. 

2. Download the Oasis Journal: A Replenishing Flow Prayer Journal. This is my gift to you to support your morning ritual. Click here.

I want to hear from you! Comment and share this post with someone you love 🤗

🫶 Nannette

(Scripture reference: Psalm 23:5, 1 Samuel 13:14, John 4:10, Psalm 1:3)