Hungry Heart

Come to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Dear friends,

I heard a song on the country radio station today that aggrieved my heart. (I have an affinity for country singing, don’t you? I just can’t help myself but to get up and tap my toes when I hear cowboy music!) No, it wasn’t one of those “He Broke My Heart” or “I Closed Down the Bar” songs. No, this one was truly sad. The first line was “She would be so pretty of she’d only lose that weight…” I don’t think I ever heard before a song that speaks directly to the heartache of heaviness. So I listened intently. Tune into YouTube and listen to K.T. Olsin sing these lyrics:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRX6ALDXrRc&list=RDIRX6ALDXrRc&index=1

She would be so pretty
If she'd only lose that weight
Women can't be thin enough, you know
Instead of eating take-out
She should be out on a date
Not dining with a demon that she can't control
So misunderstood
She'd stop it if she could
Heaven knows the hell she feels inside

Chorus:

Cause she's feeding a hungry heart
Trying to fill the empty part
She's starving
From a hungry heart

Oh Jesus, we know that describes women across America. But rightly so, Ms. Olsin speaks to the woes of men too:

He's out there every morning
Way before dawn
Running like a man whose heart is on fire
Racing past his feelings
On his daily marathon
His loneliness is lessened by the miles and miles
Up and down the hill,
Oh, so much time to kill
Heaven knows the hell he's running from

Chorus

Cause he's feeding a hungry heart
Trying to fill the empty part
He's starving
From a hungry heart

Their thirstin’ for happiness

Drownin’ in their own excess

They’re starvin’ from a hungry heart

What saddens me so is just like all things of this broken world, it keeps folks stuck in their distress. Miss Olsin offers no hope for the forlorn whose hearts are hungry. But what we know is Jesus can feed and fill those folks. He can nourish their souls and brighten their days. He can heal their hurts and satisfy their thirst. Oh, I want to write Ms. Olsin and plead with her to write one more verse, sharing the hope of Jesus.

Now what about you, sweet one. Even though you know Jesus as your Savior, are there days your heart is starving? Do you default to take-out? Dine with a demon you can’t seem to control? Oh sister, you CAN control that demon! Claim your healing through Jesus, even when it doesn’t FEEL like your heart is whole. I did some thinkin’ out in the garden this afternoon and wrote a new verse, just for you. Will you sing it with me?

There’s days I don’t feel pretty
I haven’t lost the weight
But I’m a chosen child of God, you know
Instead of eating take-out
I’m going on a date
Dining with my gracious Lord who loves me so!
His Word fills my soul
His Spirit makes me whole
Thank Heaven for the joy I feel inside!

Cause He transformed my hungry heart
Filled up my empty parts
I’m renewed
With a happy heart

Now wasn’t that some sweet singin’? Though you still will have days when you crave cookies ‘cus your heart aches, you have a heavenly Father who never leaves nor forsakes you. Matthew 11:28 says Come to me, all ye who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. So when dark clouds begin to hover, go on a date with Jesus. Indulge yourself in His promises. Ravenously consume His Word. Then call someone up who might also need some nourishment and sing our vitalizing verse with them. Stand up now and let’s sing our revised chorus one more time together:

Cause He transformed my hungry heart
Filled up my empty parts
I’m renewed
With a happy heart

Thank You, Lord, for feeding our hurting, hungry hearts.

Live Well,

Grace