"A Hungry Plane"

I think it is so fitting that the theme of the trip this far has been about hunger. On the plane ride to Sri Lanka, as I struggled to find comfort in my itchy seat as I slept on a tightly packed airplane, I woke up and reached into my bag for my journal. I placed the book on the tray table and began to write, mindful not to wake my brother or Jen. During the first service here in Sri Lanka, as I listened to Pastor Davis speak about hunger, it reconfirmed the needs of these people and our duty to fulfill them in our short time here. These are the words that were given to me:

You know the feeling when you’ve eaten enough? You’re satisfied and you slouch back in your seat with a half smirk and sigh. You feel like if you never ate again you’d be fine. You are satisfied.

But then suddenly you find yourself sitting up and going back for more. Someone once told me this is your “second wind.” Before you’ve had time to digest, you find yourself eating again. This is how God must feel. He loves our worship and praise and it pleases him, but he is getting his second wind. He wants more and more from us, from his people and he is not satisfied after the first course. He wants to see all his children fed, more and more. He is not satisfied till we have fed them all.

And when we’re drained, and we feel as if we’ve praised and we’ve worshipped, and we’ve ministered enough, as if we’ve given these people what they’ve come for, what we think they need, God whispers, “That was only a taste. We’ve only wet their appetites. I’ve only begun to do a work. Give them another course. I am ready for my second wind.”

I can’t wait to see what God will do on this trip. As I watch these people board the plane and walk the aisles, you can almost see the hunger in their eyes. We are traveling to a very spiritual country. People are very committed and dedicated to religion. They will sacrifice anything and give themselves completely to their beliefs. They are not ashamed to worship. They are not weary in their sacrifice. However it is often for false gods. They will worship a man-made symbol of a false god, a false spirit. A god that cannot do anything for them in return. Who cannot heal them or save them. Regardless, they tarry on. They build greater and more extravagant idols. They will do more and sacrifice more because their hunger is not satisfied. If I build a bigger statue, my god will bless me. If I add more gold, my god will heal me. If I spend all my time in the temple, my god will surely honor me this time. This time, soon, one day….but the hunger remains.

God, move through us on this trip. Let your Spirit rush over these people. Bring your appetites. Taste and see.