Sacred Romance Drawing Closer to the Heart of God

; CHAPTER 6: ;God the Ageless Romancer ; ; ; So long as we imagine ; it is we who have to look for God, we must often lose heart. But it is the ; other way about-He is looking for us. ; -Simon Tugwell ; ; ;Can it possibly get any more uncertain ; than this? We so long for life to be better than it is. We wish the beauty and ; love and adventure would stay and that someone strong and kind would show us ; how to make the Arrows go away. We hope that God will be our hero. Of all the ; people in the universe, he could stop the Arrows and arrange for just a little ; more blessing in our lives. He can spin the earth, change the weather, topple ; governments, obliterate armies, and resurrect the dead. Is it too much to ask ; that he intervene in our story? But he often seems aloof, almost indifferent ; to our plight, so entirely out of our control. Would it be any worse if there ; were no God? If he didn't exist, at least we wouldn't get our hopes ; up. We could settle once and for all that we really are alone in the universe ; and get on with surviving as best we may. ; This is, in fact, how many professing Christians end up living: ; as practical agnostics. Perhaps God will come through, perhaps he won't, ; so I'll be hanged if I'll live as though he had to come through. I'll ; hedge my bets and if he does show up, so much the better. The simple word ; for this is godlessness. Like a lover who's been wronged, we guard ; our heart against future disappointment. ; In my sophomore year in high school I (John) fell in love with ; a beautiful junior named Joy. Our first dates were romantic, exciting, and full ; of adventure. I gave her my heart. One day several months into the relationship, ; I was trying in vain to thumb a ride home when I saw her car approaching. My ; heart leaped with anticipation, but Joy whizzed past in her convertible with ; another guy at the wheel. Adding insult to injury, she waved gaily as they rushed ; by. I felt the fool, which is what we often do when we feel betrayed. And I ; never gave her my heart again. ; Everyone has been betrayed by someone, some more profoundly ; than others. Betrayal is a violation that strikes at the core of our being; ; to make ourselves vulnerable and entrust our well-being to another, only to ; be harmed by those on whom our hopes were set, is among the worst pain of human ; experience. ; Sometimes the way God treats us feels like betrayal. We find ; ourselves in a dangerous world, unable to arrange for the water our thirsty ; souls so desperately need. Our rope won't take the bucket to the bottom ; of the well. We know God has the ability to draw water for us, but oftentimes ; he won't. We feel wronged. After all, doesn't Scripture say that if ; we have the power to do someone good, we should do it (Prov. 3:27)? So why doesn't ; God? ; As I spoke with a friend about her painful life, how reckless ; and unpredictable God seems, she turned and with pleading eyes asked the question ; we are all asking somewhere deep within: "How can I trust a lover who is ; so wild?" Indeed, how do we not only trust him, but love him in return? ; There's only one possible answer: You could love him if you knew ; his heart was good. In the movie The Last of the Mohicans, brave Nathaniel ; has captured the heart of the beautiful Cora. With tremendous courage and cunning, #Eldredge, John is the author of 'Sacred Romance Drawing Closer to the Heart of God' with ISBN 9780785267232 and ISBN 0785267239.