Desire

Here is another one of John Eldredge's excellent insights on what I see is a
very missing drive in our western culture. It appears that we no longer are
willing to take risks to fan the flames of our passions into reality. Why? I
believe it is about the reward...we have lost sight of the reward. More
about the reward later...for now, enjoy Eldredge.

In Defense of Discontent
10/10/2007

In the quiet moments of the day we sense a nagging within, a discontentment,
a hunger for something else. But because we have not solved the riddle of
our existence, we assume that something is wrong - not with life, but with
us. Everyone else seems to be getting on with things. What's wrong with me?
We feel guilty about our chronic disappointment. Why can't I just learn to
be happier in my job, in my marriage, in my church, in my group of friends?
You see, even while we are doing other things, "getting on with life," we
still have an eye out for the life we secretly want. When someone seems to
have gotten it together we wonder how did they do it? Maybe if we read the
same book, spent time with them, went to their church, things would come
together for us as well. You see, we can never entirely give up our quest.
As May reminds us,

When the desire is too much to bear, we often bury it beneath frenzied
thoughts and activities or escape it by dulling our immediate consciousness
of living. It is possible to run away from the desire for years, even
decades, at a time, but we cannot eradicate it entirely. It keeps touching
us in little glimpses and hints in our dreams, our hopes, our unguarded
moments.

He says that even though we sleep, our desire does not. "It is who we are."
We are desire. It is the essence of the human soul, the secret of our
existence. Absolutely nothing of human greatness is ever accomplished
without it. Not a symphony has been written, a mountain climbed, an
injustice fought or a love sustained apart from desire. Desire fuels our
search for the life we prize. Our desire, if we will listen to it, will save
us from committing soul-suicide, the sacrifice of our hearts on the alter of
"getting by." The same old thing is not enough. It never will be.

(The Journey of Desire
<https://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=6> ,
10,11)

From The Ransomed Heart
<http://www.ransomedheart.com/RH_Ministries_Store/detail.aspx?ID=74> , by
John Eldredge, reading 283
Ransomed Heart Ministries www.ransomedheart.com