by Sr Nunother
I woke up with the music of a beautiful anthem by Herbert Howells, Like as the Hart, performing in my memory. Assuming God had something to say to me, I decided to read the Psalm on which the anthem is based. From Psalm 42, Verse 1: As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. Hmm. Pants. Not a lovely word and certainly not a weak word. It means “to search for in a state of exhaustion.” It’s less about resting in the pleasant beauty of a stream and more about a vigorous search for the One who can calm my fears, heal my wounds, and deliver me from inward enemies.