Thirsting to Be Replenished, August 24
Inside the Cancer Journey: Daily Reflections for Those Coping with Cancer
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Written by Tom Corbell
As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? My tears have been my food day and night, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” (Psalm 42:1-3 ESV)
You do remember that E.T. once said, “Phone home”?1
The Lord wants us to do the same. You “call home” through the gift and practice of prayer. Writer and spiritual mentor Henri Nouwen wrote these beautiful words:
Prayer is first of all listening to God. It’s openness. God is always speaking; he’s always doing something.
Why is it so important that you are with God and God alone on the mountain top? It’s important because it’s the place in which you can listen to the voice of the One who calls you the beloved. To pray is to listen to the One who calls you my beloved daughter, my beloved son, my beloved child. To pray is to let that voice speak to the center of your being, to your guts, and let that voice resound in your whole being.2
Within each of us God has placed a hunger to constantly be drawing nearer to Him. The psalmist wrote, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God” (Psalm 42:1).
Created within the soul of this psalm writer was a thirst that could only be quenched by a living, active, and personal relationship with the Lord. Along with this desire for relationship with our God, we also have within our hearts a thirst to care for those we love. Yet every relationship, whether it be with your spouse, your family, your neighbors, or acquaintances can only be strengthened when you seek to nourish and enrich that closeness with the Lord.
The panting deer pictured by the psalmist makes me think of those who are cancer caregivers. If you are a caregiver for a cancer patient, the thirst to quench their pain or help them can be overwhelming. The emotional and physical strain of caregiving cannot be endured without replenishment. To have the strength and endurance to care, you need to seek the Lord’s help. You will find that God will lead you to make time for your needs. This takes humility and focus—first, to acknowledge this need, and second, to ask for help. Often in our churches and in our lives there are people who want to help. However, you may need to specifically ask them. For example: “Joe, could you stay with Robert tomorrow afternoon for two hours while I do some necessary shopping?” “Margaret, could you bless Charlene by reading to her for an hour next Tuesday afternoon?” People have a “thirst” to help but they may need some specific direction. The more you turn to God in prayer for replenishment, the more strength you will find to ask for help. In this way, the patient and the caregiver are blessed.
Pray: Lord, please create in me a deeper thirst for Your love and strength. Where my pride gets in the way, gently lead me to relinquish it. I ask this prayer in the sustaining name of Jesus. Amen.
Your Turn: Breathe deeply and take a few moments right now to pray, joining with the words of Shane and Shane singing “As the Deer.”
1. Spielberg, Stephen, director. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial. (Universal City: Amblin Entertainment, 1982)
2. “Prayer Quotes–Henri Nouwen,” Prayer Coach, June 8, 2018, https://prayer-coach.com/prayer-quote-henri-nouwen/.
Tom Corbell, Hospice Pastor
Tom is a Lutheran pastor who has served Jesus in both North and South Carolina for forty-nine years. Six of those years he worked as a Hospice Chaplain, and he encountered cancer daily. The privilege of praying, working with and supporting cancer patients and their families is an honor.
Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.
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