“To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.”
This was part of a text message I received middle of last week. It struck me. I started thinking of what I want, one after another popped in my mind. But then a question stopped me: ‘Is it possible for anyone to live without wanting anything?’
This echoed in my mind for the rest of the week. Last Saturday, I read this in a book by Michael Marsch:
“The more I have, the more plans I have. I have everything – except time. My appointment calendar is full. All the possible dates are taken. There just isn’t time for anything more. But if riches are so desirable and if it is characteristic of all who have them that they have no time, why did God become human among the poorest….? Why not something spectacular?”
Yeah. People always want something but when they have it, they want something bigger than that. We are never satisfied, we are never contented. So my nagging question came back again to me. If there’s such a level in life of wanting nothing at all, I would like to reach that level. It would be great! I can live peacefully and happily ever after!
But as I reflected more on it and asked God about it in prayer, I discovered, there’s no such thing. It is innate in man to have this deep longing for something that as he grows, he search and search and search….so this can be satisfied. But in his search, what he finds never satisfies his deep longing and so he searches for bigger things, but with the same result. The fact is, man can never find what he is truly searching for in this world.
Why? Why can’t we be satisfied? Why can’t we find this in this world? Because if we do, then the more we will want to live in this world and not leave it someday to go to our Father in heaven….the more we will not strive to grow even if we are designed to grow inside and outside our being. The more we will get attached to dear life and never long for an eternal life and meet God face to face.
God planted that deep longing in us when we were formed, a longing not really for worldly things, but for what? What is that want that we truly must have?
As I reflected that Saturday morning, I ended up with one answer – wanting God more than anything else in this world….but in wanting God, it cannot be avoided to also want what He wants for me. I can find satisfaction in whatever this world can offer me if I can only be contented and happy with what I have and what I achieve. But this world can never satisfy my deep longing for God, His embrace, His awesome Presence of which we are meant to experience.
There’s nothing wrong with plans and riches, nor in doing great things, as long as they don’t prevent you in your pursuit of deepening personal relationship with God, as long as He is the center of everything in your life….This is the biggest dream we must have above our big dreams.
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| My Dreams |
Once I heard a priest reflect: “The deep longing we have in our hearts is the reflection of the deep longing of God for us.”
….I believe him, God loves us so much and He longs that we may love Him back....but our focus always is somewhere else, not on God who truly deserves our love and attention….
PRAYER OF THE HEART:
My Beloved Father, may I want only You and what You want for me. May I be contented and satisfied with what this world can offer….except in my deep longing for You and Your desires. May I find You as my need above all the basic needs that my physical body requires.
My Dearest God, grant that my inner self thirst and hunger for You alone that I shall ache and feel like dying without Your Presence in my daily earthly life. In Jesus Name I pray, by the power of Your Spirit. Amen.
-luisadelacruz
