“O God, you are my God,
I seek you early with a heart that thirsts for you
and a body wasted with longing for you,
like a dry and thirsty land that has no water.
So, longing, I come before you in the sanctuary
to look upon your power and your glory.”

That is the one word that defines the state of my soul, Lord; thirst. Bodily thirst, almost animal thirst that burns my body and parches my throat. The thirst of the desert, of the dry sands and the scorching sun, of dunes and mirages, of desolate wastes and merciless skies. The thirst that overcomes every other desire and overrules any other need. The thirst that needs the draught of water to live, to subsist, to restore sensing to the body and rest to the soul. The thirst that mobilises every cell and every sense and every thought to search for the nearest oasis and reach it before life itself is scorched to death in the body.

Such is my desire for you, Lord. Thirst in my body and in my soul. Thirst for your presence, your vision, your love. Thirst for you as you are. Thirst for the waters of life which alone can bring peace to my desolate mind. Running waters in the midst of the desert, miracle of light and freshness, streams of delight, play of singing speed and dancing currents through dry earth and rocky ground. Presence in the night, and melody in silence. I long for you. I trust in you. I rest in you.