77766666y6hg - The Sunday Salon

Posted by William Lehman

February 5, 2008

…and when you lay your book down on the keyboard you get a title somewhat like the one above.

Reading is for me one of those pleasurable experiences that I never seem to get to the end of. Book after book presents to me a new realm of thought that I must absorb to some degree.

I am feeling a bit guilty for not writing more here on Sunday Salon but I must at least recognize that Sundays really aren’t as much of a possibility for me to do much other than work anymore too. So, even though I know it’s not Sunday, here I am writing away.

Amazon.com: The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We Only Dreamed of: Books: John Eldredge

I’ve been reading this book from John Eldredge lately and it’s got me thinking a bit about the desires of our hearts and minds and what those really mean.

I am reminded by that scene in Harry Potter in front of the mirror where he sees his parents with him. Dumbledore finds Harry and says that “the happiest man on earth would see himself only exactly as he is”. The subtle part of that is I would hope that the happiest man on earth would desire something for someone else at that point, but I digress.

How should we approach our true desires?

Often, we have given up our true desires for counterfeits to the reality in our hearts. For us it represents the ideal that we gave up on. Years later we may realize that we failed and gave into the counterfeits and wake up to the pitiful realization that we could have had the desires that we daydreamed about.

Eldredge says this more clearly.

“The road to life and joy lies through, not around, the heart-sickness of hope deferred.” and later relates how pursuing desire can be an intrinsically irrational event like climbing Mt. Everest.

Our desires are often irrational. But they will haunt us till they are either fulfilled or subdued. Both will make you cry, but the difference is great. One will be because of joy, the other because of sorrow. Choose the Joy. It’s irrational, but it’s worth it.

The Sunday Salon