“What would you like for Christmas?”
This question will be asked often in the coming weeks…and not just by Santa to the kiddies on his knee. As we ponder what we would like, it is a good time to ask ourselves what we really want. Those things we easily name, like a fishing rod or a swimsuit, can be signs pointing to the deeper desires of our hearts, like ‘periods of peace and quiet’ or ‘feeling good in one’s skin’. Naming those wants is the beginning of honouring our deep desires. We do this by pondering what we would like those gifts to do for us: what difference could this thing make. That gives us a handle on some of the forces that might unconsciously be driving our actions. When we know what desires are driving us, we can fulfil them by other, and maybe even better, means. For example, if the ‘fishing rod’ shows a desire for periods of peace and quiet we can discover other ways and times for this to happen…not just when we can get away to fish.
But what about our wants that we don’t dare to speak about, things we see as bad, or even sinful? We need to recognise that underneath those wants are good desires seeking fulfilment. They may be hidden a long way underneath, and we may have to work hard to find them, but, if we do not, we will struggle, and often fail, to handle their destructive force. But when we name the good, we can find some right way to fulfil. In the long run, this is the only way we can overcome what would derail our lives, and the lives of our families.
And where is God in all this? Right in the midst. We are made in the image of a passionate, desiring God so we shouldn’t be surprised if we ‘want it all’. Though that desire will not be fulfilled this side of the grave, our desires still point us towards the fullness of life and love for which we have been made.
Loving God, I will see and want so many good things in the coming weeks. Let them show me what the deepest and best desires of my heart are. Send me your Spirit of Wisdom so that I may best fulfil them in my life. I ask this in Jesus’ name confident that you will hear me.
Sr Kym Harris osb
