How does my soul long for you O God?
Do I, like the Psalmist, seek after you and thirst for your word,
or do I, in fact, run from you,
choosing my own way,
knowing that you make demands of me that I don’t want to carry out?
Am I less like a hot and thirsty deer,
and more like Jonah,
running from Niniveh to a place far, far away?
Do I really regret that you seem far away,
or is it really more convenient if I don’t see you?
Such is the life of one who lives in comfort,
who has never known persecution,
who can drive at anytime to a sacred space
and think that I will find you there.
Forgive me, O God,
for my complacency,
for my comfort,
for my lack of need.
Yet, even in the midst of my forgetful ways,
I know your steadfast love,
I hear your song.
Push me to listen harder, O God.
Help me to long for you
with all my heart
and all my soul
and all my mind.
Carry me to your house,
singing songs of praise
and shouting slogans of thanksgiving
as we party on in your kingdom.
Only Wonder Understands 