I Am Thirsty

Fortunes change as did mine.  I am just getting over that which I had avoided for many years, a head cold.  But I recalled the one thing that in those lost years, had helped tremendously.

“The nighttime sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so you can rest medicine”

Nyquil. My Dear Friend.

But Friday night it seemed that my go-to guardian had abandoned me. 

At 2 AM, I woke. There was little of the phlegm that I’ve become used to (sorry so gross) but I’m not sure that I have ever experienced a dry mouth quite like this.

It’s possible that all these articles are having some impact on me as my first thought was, "I am thirsty” as Jesus died on the cross.  

I started to think that I should get out of bed and drink some water. But I argued with myself that maybe I should just wait for a bit. Wait and remember the many times I listened to the Passion readings in church. 

It’s unlikely that any of us will experience hanging on a cross, but sometimes I think it’s good that we can use what we do experience as, “This is what it was like for Him.”

As foretold in Psalm 22:15, 

“My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. . .”

I didn’t know what a potsherd is, so I had to look that up. Apparently, it is a broken piece of pottery. I’m still unclear about the exact meaning of the Psalmist’s word choice. But I can offer my own feelings.

My mouth was filled with dust. Do you want more? My lips were cemented together, and it took some effort to open them. I literally felt the roof of my mouth being pulled and stretched as I tried to remove my tongue and no matter what, I could not raise moisture of any kind. 

I understood that a cure for my situation was only footsteps away. The faucet beckoned but I held firm for about 20 minutes. 

Not by any means a long time, it did kind of seem like it though. But since this site is used to describe living in Christ, I thought this story might be worth mentioning. 

The momentary time in discipline let me experience just a little of what it must have been like. Like me, Jesus could have executed a cure nearly immediately. But the difference is between my seeking to experience while He was demonstrating love - for me.

And I thought potsherd was difficult to understand.