A couple of the grandgirls have added a new sport to their activities within the last six months. Welcome to volleyball! It’s always entertaining to watch the kiddos learn a game they’ve never played before, and God bless those coaches – so. much. patience! The girls eventually have enough understanding of the rules and basic mastery of the skills involved to be able to play a decent match.

While parents and grandparents are usually glued to the action on the court, siblings – especially younger ones – are usually not.

At one match, a couple of my grands were clearly not interested in their sister’s game. They were hungry and quickly spiraling toward hangry when I decided to sooth the savage beasts with a $5 bucket of popcorn. The kids sat on either side of me, reaching for a few popcorn pieces at a time. I was able to enjoy watching their sister playing volleyball. Win/win.

As I watched the game, I got that weird sense that I was being watched. I looked over my shoulder, and there sat a little girl – maybe three years old, sitting in her dad’s lap – staring at that big bucket of popcorn. Talk about puppy dog eyes. I could palpably feel the longing in her stare as the kids dipped their hands into the bucket for another handful.

I picked up a few pieces of popcorn and offered them to her. She looked to Dad for permission, and he gave the nod. She gently took them from me and proceeded to eat each piece one by one until they were gone. I asked if she would like some more, and she smiled before taking the handful I offered to her.  Again – slow, deliberate eating. After a few rounds, I just kept an eye on her and refilled her hands when her supply ran out. Fortunately, the match ended about the same time the popcorn well ran dry.  The little girl smiled, and prompted by her dad, she thanked me for sharing my popcorn.

Oh, friend. If only our hearts longed for something as simple as popcorn! How often we’ve longed for good things – a spouse, a child, a home, good health, the dream job, (fill in the blank) – that only manage to conceal our longing for the very best - the One Who offers true fulfillment. Those other things are good, but our souls were never meant to be filled with the “popcorn” of this earth.

We were created to long for our Creator, and unlike those other things that may prove painfully elusive, the longing for relationship with Him can be fulfilled and will be fulfilled if we’ll only surrender the full territory of our hearts to Him.

The Creator has done everything possible to provide that fulfillment. John 3:16 is the ultimate proclamation of His love for us: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 5:8 tells us, “…God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

He’s looking for those who are looking for Him. Psalm 14:2 says, “The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.” As deeply as you long to be satisfied in Him, He desires that infinitely more. “…The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion.”  (Isaiah 30:18a) He promises in Ezekiel 37:27, “My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people.” We can enjoy as much of Him as we determine to pursue. The “bucket” has no bottom.

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A few love notes from the Word…

“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” - Revelation 3:20

“For I am the Lord your God Who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” – Isaiah 41:13

“The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17