Hope Below the Surface

They are called “hunger stones.”Lying in certain Central European riverbeds, large stones bear messages chiseled upon them hundreds of years ago…“If you see me, weep.”“If you will again see this stone, so you will weep, so shallow was the water in the year 1417.”“We cried – We cry – And you will cry.”The lack of rainfall and scarcity of water led to desperate times, and the people suffering in those regions marked those occasions with messages for future generations. The stones serve as reminders of harsh times of drought and can only be seen when the levels of the rivers drop.We need hunger stones in our lives.Each of us will face hardship, difficulty and suffering. In those dry moments, we need voices around us to whisper that we are not alone. We need to hear with clarity that others have endured the same pain before us, faced attacks on their faith and staggered at the weight of burdens. We need to be shown our utter dependence upon God when we grow all too comfortable with high waters and lush fields. We need to run our fingers over messages chiseled deeply -- so deeply than they endure through times of plenty and want -- and be reminded that the drought will pass, seasons will change and the rains will return again.In flood we forget; in famine we remember.If you have been scarred – if the hunger of your heart has etched an indelible message across the deepest part of your life – don’t waste your pain. Share what Christ has done in your healing with others. Be a voice of hope to another who sits even now on a dry riverbed watching tears fall into the dust.“Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” - Romans 12:15“Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.” - Acts 14:17“…Knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”  - 1 Peter 5:9“…He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything.” - Acts 17:25