"You need not be afraid. The Lord understands and even knows the number of hairs on your head. Why did Jesus grow weary in Samaria, disturbed in Nazareth, and angry in the Temple? Why was he sleepy in the boat on the Sea of Galilee, sad at the tomb of Lazarus, and hungry in the wilderness? Why? Why did he endure all these feelings? Because he knew you'd feel them too.

"He knew you'd be weary, disturbed, and angry. He knew you'd be sleepy, grief-stricken, and hungry. He knew you'd face pain. If not the pain of the body, the pain of the soul---pain too sharp for any drug. He knew you'd face thirst for truth. And the truth we glean from the image of a thirsty Christ is this---he understands. And because he understands, we can come to him!

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