What Do You Desire?

"A human being is by definition a longing for God. The whole aim of the spiritual life is to keep the longing alive." Alan Jones

"Our desire for union with God fills us with a godly sorrow. It operates in a kind of cycle, never to be fulfilled on this earth, for which we years as the caged bird yearns for the woods. Every time we come close to God, our desire for Him is amplified: in the very fulfillment of the desire, there is planted a deeper hunger to experience more of the Beloved." Chris Armstrong

"There are no experts in prayer, only people who have been faithful to the ache in their hearts." Macrina Wiederkehr

Some friends have been doing a regular practice with Jesus each day. They begin with two questions: How do you come? and What do you desire? And so I've been adopting those questions as well. And more often then not, I get stuck at What do you desire?

I've been around the Christian block enough to know that ultimately, under all the layers and laps, I want Jesus Himself. It just takes a while to get to Him. So, I sit with my desire for peace or protection (or whatever is most present) long enough to find the ache.

And then I open my hands.

JUDY