Romanced by God

Yesterday I was reading Way of the Wild Heart by John Eldredge. It's a book that focuses on how a boy, and a man, becomes a man. It examines six stages that every man must go through, and then how we can raise our sons to reach them. Its a book that I try to re-read every year or two. I've looked at it, really trying to focus on the stage I'm in, and that's really the part that has stood out to me. In it, he talks about how many of the stages overlap, and while that is true there is a phase that is prominent at each stage of life.

Boyhood, Cowboy, Warrior, Lover, King and Sage. As I look at my life, the stage I am most prominently in right now is the Lover stage. This has so much more to do than my relationship with my wife. Eldredge points out that this relationship needs to come after our primary relationship with God. God is the great romancer, the source of beauty. A woman is simply the messenger, the bearer of beauty, not the source. Our souls must be romanced by God. We must allow God to be the lover of our souls.

As I was reading he talks about how many of us need to look at the things that captured our attention as boys. And in those things we can most likely find God. It is to those things we in some way need to return.

As I thought about the things that captured my attention my mind immediately went to Israel. Quiet mornings by the Sea of Galilee, time of solitude in Gethsemane and at the Garden Tomb, walking on a street that Jesus walked on, seeing where He performed miracles; I honestly don't know that I've ever felt so close to God as I did in the ten days I was there. I know that I can't live in Israel, and honestly I don't think I would want to. If I did the places might become just locations. They would be things I saw everyday, and I might begin to take them for granted.

As I think about the time there I realize that what I loved the most was just that, the time. I was given two weeks with no distractions, no interruptions, just time. That time is what my heart longs for.

I think about the things I desire to do. I want to be in a canoe, going down a river in the early morning as the mist rises off the river in the early morning light. I want to backpack, and just walk along trails in the wilderness. I want to camp and just sit to watch the sunset and the stars come out. It isn't about the adventure of it, it's about the uninterrupted time with no distractions. Time just to be alone in the presence of God. Time just to be with my wife in the presence of God. Time just to be with one of my brothers in the presence of God.

Its time without the worry of any phone calls, without the distractions of any technology. Time that I don't even need to speak, and wouldn't need God to speak; it's just about being in His presence. I look back at my time in college, and I had that. I was able to escape and simply be alone with God. There were places I could go where no one would bother me, where I didn't have to worry about being interrupted, and I could fully focus on my God. When I could open my heart to Him for healing, for encouragement, or simply for Him to love.

My heart longs for that time. My heart longs for a place with no distractions and no interruptions. It isn't a place to live in, but a place to retreat to and rest from battle. It is a place to be romanced by God, the lover of my soul.

Peace be with you