Our deepest desire

"In our longing for intimacy, all of us have to be content in this life with the reality of imperfect connections. While human experiences satisfy many of our deep yearnings, it is the nature of life that these fulfilling experiences are momentary and passing. Instead of bringing complete satisfaction, they seem only to whet our appetite for a fulfillment that is more lasting; without end - for what only an eternal God can provide."

Wilkie Au (The Enduring Heart)

"From a spiritual standpoint, the yearning we have for love is our human spirit. It is our fundamental identity. It is what we are created for. It is our most precious gift. It is in the desire, not in the satisfaction that our treasure lies..As long as we are hell bent on satiating ourselves and filling our empty spaces and feeling bad or sick or disturbed when we experience emptiness, we're not going to be open to God. God has a hard time getting through."

Gerald May

Being a little less busy than usual, I have had the opportunity to feel the 'empty spaces' more often. When one is too full of things to do and people to meet it is easy to shut out the deep down yearning, keep it under wraps. It is not a very comfortable feeling to name and just 'be with', something (for once) we do not have to do anything about (we can't anyway). But by allowing oneself to be in touch with this yearning, we live more authentic lives, that proclaim "to live is Christ, to die is gain".