Brenda’s Blog – May 16, 2023
“The pangs of hunger have made him take risks.”
Kevin Costner’s fine documentary on the Yellowstone National Park featured the plants and animals, as well as the majestic topography. One was the Bobcat. As the camera chronicled his activities the animal clearly exposed himself to danger and harm. Costner explained to the audience: “The pangs of hunger have made him take risks.”
In Plano, Texas bobcats are threatening the peaceful existence of this residential community. The first time you see them agilely walking along the tops of backyard fences, it startles. But then their hunt for food has taken them from formerly wilderness areas to well-populated homesites. They are hungry and they have been driven out of their natural habitat, so they impinge on neighborhoods. Cats and small dogs become targeted dinner items.
Think about hunger for a minute? What drives you to take risks? Where are your hungers? Some are very good. Proverbs tells us that man’s hunger drives us to work. Before free money kept so many home because “I can make more money not working and I like it so much better” most chose to earn a paycheck in order to buy groceries.
There is hunger for belonging which sometimes drives us to take unhealthy relational risks, or it becomes a strong driver to seek our friendships and Christian fellowship. Hunger can be good.
Last weekend I was with students from East Texas Baptist University. Many spoke of the hunger to make a difference – to do something meaningful with their lives. Hooray for that hunger. May they find satisfaction in their heart’s desire.
Sadly, as we age we often put away the desires which drive us to participate. We sit too much. But God doesn’t have a time stamp on us. As long as we are alive we have the privilege of hungering and thirsting after righteousness and living out the purpose for which we were created. We don’t have to walk across backyard fences or take wild risks, we just have to open ourselves to the joys of doing what we were created to do.