Feeding on God's Word

For a lot of years I have heard different sermons on the Word of God and prayer being like food and water for a Christian. I got it, you know as believers it makes sense that we should desire time with God as we desire to feed ourselves...but need it? I have to admit I never got that, or honestly felt that...desire yes, but to need it the same as physical nurishment?
So, I mentioned in an earlier blog what an amazing new job lifeguarding has been. Its given me 5 hours each morning to spend in the Word, and talk to my Savior! This morning I had the opportunity to share my faith with a coworker who was visiting me in the pool. Her words being, "you can't get much different than us (her and I), myself an atheist lesbian and you being religeous." It was a long conversation to try and mark down, but it went from her asking me what I believed about whether gay people are born gay, or its choice, to my sharing about the Love Jesus loves all of us with, and how as a believer I am called to love others the same!! It was an intense, amazing, challenging conversation, and when she left the room, I sat thinking about how impossible knowing God and accepting His gift is apart from God! In that moment, came this hunger, rather a starvation to eat, feast on His word... it was similar in desperation to my desire for salt a week before aunt Flow comes around...It was then I understood! I finally felt it...the desire for His Word, and prayer like that which I have for food and water!
All this to say it finally makes sense to me...the more time I spend in His Word, seeking His face, not even trying to be what I think I ought, but just spending time in His presence and learning to let Him be in me, the more I desire that time, the more I am aware of how desperately I need this time not as much but more than I need my bread and water!!
Thank you God, for making yourself known to us, through the gift of Your Son at Calvary, and I ask God that You might in Your time open the eyes of Danielle's heart that she might desire to know you, and that in seeking she might find You!!