Hangry | Previous Challenge Entry

how it works

TITLE: Hangry | Previous Challenge Entry
By A Mattingly
07/18/18
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES

Joking with the woman at the counter who was wanting to discuss add-on sales, I politely said I was not interested and just wanted to checkout so I could eat the snack item I was purchasing before I became “hangry.” We both laughed as she totally understood where I was coming from. Some people, like most of my family and myself, become overly agitated in certain situations when they become hungry due to a drop in their blood sugar. I’m definitely not myself when in this state of mind. It becomes impossible to concentrate on the task at hand, not to mention how very irritable and unfriendly I become. On more than one occasion I had to go back and apologize for harsh words spoken when I was hangry. When I wait too long to feed my hunger, I feel as if I could devour a whole cow! Sometimes it feels as if I have, given the mass quantity of food consumed in an attempt to level out my blood sugar.

Knowing how impossible it is for me to concentrate when hungry, the Japanese saying I saw the other day, “hara ga hette wa ikusa wa dekinu,” struck a chord with me. It means “no man can do battle on an empty stomach.” When preparing for action, be it a military battle or just a battle in our daily lives, we need to have a full stomach so we can concentrate and make wise choices.

If our stomach needs food for us to stay focused, what food does our soul need to remain focused on glorifying God? There is the obvious, prayer and study of His word, but maybe there is more. Perhaps, we need to eat some soul food to put us in the right frame of mind. There are times I want to speak with God and read His word, but it’s just not happening for me. I can’t seem to find the connection. Can our soul become hangry, making it difficult for us to concentrate on His word? When I take time to look at what’s been going on in my life, I usually see I have been busy, unfocused and have failed to make time for the things in life that bring peace to my soul. It’s time for me to get out in nature or grab my paint brushes to calm my soul and open my heart to the word of God. I can hear His voice it the chirps of the bird perched in a tree as I walk through the park or feel it in the breeze that blows across my cheeks and shoulders as I stand at the summit of a mountain. It’s in my stomach when I belt out a song of praise or dance to the music for His glory while adding colors to the canvas.

After calming the beast of a hangry soul, it’s possible to once again concentrate on the message of His word and connect with His voice of guidance and companionship.

PREVIOUS ENTRY | NEXT ENTRY
SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY FOR THIS WEEK'S CHALLENGE

The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.

Accept Jesus as Your Lord and Savior Right Now - CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.