Casandra Martin

I’m starving. My tummy is rumbling, and I want something to eat. My eyes slip off the work in front of me and glance toward the kitchen. The growling I hear compels me to look for something to satisfy my hunger. Blessed by abundance, I head to the pantry to find something to fill the emptiness inside of me.

Everything about our physical bodies is fearfully and wonderfully made. There are many sources of wonder to be found in the complex systems God has designed to help us live life. The digestive system alone is a miracle. Each part of our physical lives is meant to point us to the Creator. They are designed with delight, infused with His power, and display His wisdom and glory. The body, however, is not an end in itself. The body echoes the soul.

The physical is always meant to point us to the richer spiritual world in which we are called to live. Physical hunger invites us to satisfy our souls by feasting on the sweeter-than-honey words of God. Thirst calls us to the Living Water. Stress challenges our hearts to discover the peace found only in His love. Exhaustion directs our hearts to His rest. Pain is best managed by the balm of His presence.

This is why fasting – whether from food, television, music, coffee, soda, the computer, or a particular activity – is such a vital spiritual discipline. Fasting trains the heart to see beyond the physical to the reality of the spiritual. It allows our hunger for things of the world to be channeled into a hunger for the heart of God. It puts the physical in its proper place – as a tool to make our hearts more aware of our need for Him.

My Jesus Resolution today is to let my physical hunger pull my eyes to God. Each time my tummy growls, I am going to stop and satisfy myself first with His love. I am going to let His presence be the sweetest thing I enjoy today. God tells us to “taste and see that the Lord is good.” (Psalm 34:8). I know whatever He has in store for me today will be delicious.

My walk this morning was quieter and a little lonely. My dog died this week. It was sudden and unexpected. We are heartbroken, yet thankful.

God used Shelby in so many ways to teach us about His heart. A dog’s unconditional love, delight in your presence, and simple nearness hold echoes of God. She helped heal a little boy’s fear, provided companionship, and made us feel safe. She exemplified gratitude, loyalty, and trust. She was a dog we rescued from a shelter. She reminded us of the power of redemption. The lessons God planted in our time with Shelby were meant to turn our hearts to the Lord.

God has always used animals to point people to His presence and purpose. God sent Balaam a donkey to help him learn to listen to the Lord. He used lions to show Daniel and Darius His power. Jonah tells us of lessons learned within a great fish. Jesus uses sparrows to remind us of God’s immense love and care. So it comes as no surprise today to think of all the ways that God used a dog to bring the reality of His presence into our family.

My Jesus Resolution today is to not underestimate the ways God is speaking to me. He is always calling to our hearts. Sometimes He uses a wagging tail.

I just got back from a week at camp. Each year I go to cook for a beginner’s camp. I make hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and ice cream sandwiches and get to be the mess hall hero for a group of kids who have come to camp to meet Jesus.

Camp is a special place. I go there to serve and to connect, but mostly, I go to camp to see God. I am not sure what it is about being there that opens my eyes so wide to His movement, but I see Him more clearly there than just about anywhere else.

This year He showed up everywhere. I saw Him in the teens that take a week of their summer and give it to look like Jesus for younger kids. Every night they talked about where they had seen God during the day, the lessons they had learned in unexpected places, and their desire to serve with bigger hearts. I saw Him in the kids who ran, laughed, played, and absorbed words about God like a sponge. I saw Him in adults who spent their days fixing toilets, putting on band-aids, hauling water, and blowing whistles in order for others to see Jesus. God worked in the weather, in manila envelopes, and frozen biscuits. I spent the whole week smiling because everywhere I turned, God was there.

My Jesus Resolution today is to walk through this week with eyes as wide open as at camp. I know He is here just as much as there. He works in every one of my days to bring me closer to His heart. I am going to look for Him in the people that surround me, in the laughter and tears that ring through my house, and in both the freezer and the laundry. Today I may not be at camp, but I still want to see God.