I feel. That is not a unique observation. I am a human, thus I feel. I have been created in the image of God, thus I feel the emotions that He has created, albeit not perfectly, for I am in no way a perfect being yet.
…Yet. In that one word, there is promise. There is hope for something greater one day. But that day is not today.
…And so I long. I do not fully know WHAT I long for, but that does not mean I can not long. It does not mean that because I do not understand what I feel, I cannot experience that feeling. Sometimes I wonder: Are feelings meant to be understood? Can we really go through and analyze why someone falls in love? Or am I falling prey to today’s worldview (Post-Modernism) that we cannot know anything?
Today we went to the library. I hate doing nothing, and unfortunately, that is what I was doing a large portion of the time. However, I did get The God Who Is There by Francis A. Schaeffer, a book by Lee Strobel, and some other classics on tape so that maybe I will actually LISTEN to them!
Back to Schaeffer’s book. I am fascinated by the concept of our worldview. Not that I am a scholar on the subject by any means. Other members of my own family have done more research and thought more about it. But it is interesting to think that we Christians are still very much of the world, whether we are aware of it or not.
But I do not wish to talk about Post-Modernism or any other worldviews tonight. I wish simply to say this: I long for that which I do not know. I have this deep ache, sadness, that I am missing out on something that I have not yet found. Perhaps it is heaven. But it is rather a burden. I wonder how many people are filled with sadness at the thought of (is it heaven?) something far, far away.
A Little About Me
- Allegra
- I enjoy scrapbooking, sewing, cooking and baking, shooting guns, and spending time with my dog (we used to exercise...now we just sit around). However, most of my time is consumed with school and work. My favorite pastime (and probably the hardest one) is learning to lean on and trust in God, while daily *attempting* to surrender to Him. I’ve found that nothing is possibly in my own strength, and it’s quite incredible to let God handle everything!
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5 comments:
My two cents' worth: I think feelings are probably meant to be understood, because feelings you don't understand end up controlling you. But I don't think understanding them means knowing why you have them; it just means being clear on what they are, so you can put them to good use. (Does that make any sense?)
Probably, though, it is because I'm a little too analytical that I think that. For me, the longing for something far-away is usually the result of a heavy dinner and not enough work to keep me occupied—coupled, often, with too much introspection. :-) But then, I normally don't feel things very deeply anyway.
Yes, 2¢.
I am going to get all religious here, and if you don't like it, I apologize, you can delete my comment.
I think that longing is something that God instilled in all of us, a longing to serve some sort of God. And when we're Christians, a longing to know Him more. Or it could be a longing for adventure. Or maybe, I'm just rambling and I have no idea what I'm talking about.
I listened to a sermon on this topic today... And the pastor said that the longing was the longing for God's glory and His presence, because things aren't going to fill the longing in our hearts. I hope I don't sound like I'm lecturing you, and I hope I'm not bugging you with all these long comments.
~HM
Matthew: "I think feelings are probably meant to be understood, because feelings you don't understand end up controlling you."
Me: I agree. I'm not saying that we ought to follow our hearts, so to speak. But I think that God created us both rational and emotional beings. I'm not saying never the twain shall meet, but rather that logic does not, can not explain emotions all the time. But I have nothing in the Bible to back up this stance except the verse about man's heart being desperately wicked...which doesn't sound like support at all...
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Matthew: "But I don't think understanding them means knowing why you have them; it just means being clear on what they are, so you can put them to good use. (Does that make any sense?)"
Me: Yes, this makes perfect sense. I suppose if we had feelings and didn't realize that they existed or that they were powerful enough to influence our behaviors and actions, we would have no idea why we did what we did.
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Matthew: "Probably, though, it is because I'm a little too analytical that I think that."
Me: You make being analytical sound bad... You're a guy, too. As a girl, I'm going to be more in tune with my ever-changing, ever-touchy emotions... :P
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Matthew: "For me, the longing for something far-away is usually the result of a heavy dinner and not enough work to keep me occupied—coupled, often, with too much introspection. :-)"
Me: LOL! That was probably my problem when I wrote the post. However, I believe that the longing for something far-away and seemingly unattainable is a gift from God. What would we long for besides our earthly comforts if we had not the sudden twinge of missing something every now and then?
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Matthew: "But then, I normally don't feel things very deeply anyway."
Me: Again, you are a guy. I am a girl. Fundamental differences. It's okay. Really. In all honesty, it's probably a good thing. :)
History Maker: "I am going to get all religious here, and if you don't like it, I apologize, you can delete my comment."
Me: Thanks. :P No, nothing is wrong with getting all religious. But remember to consider your audience. Some people don't want to hear a lot of religious jargon. So you change the words around, make it simpler--use small words and speak slowly... Don't change your message, especially if God has given you passion. But do try to make it applicable to others. Enough preaching of mine though... Thank you for commenting, History Maker! I always feel special when people take the time to read my posts and comment on them. :)
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History Maker: "I think that longing is something that God instilled in all of us, a longing to serve some sort of God. And when we're Christians, a longing to know Him more. Or it could be a longing for adventure. Or maybe, I'm just rambling and I have no idea what I'm talking about."
Me: I agree with you. Like I said in response to Matthew, I believe that God really has created in us a longing for something better. Why else would we be in the least bit interested in storing for ourselves treasures in heaven if we have no clue, no desire for that place?
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