by Jim Manney

It’s a problem we’ve all experienced: we deeply desire something; we think God has put the desire in our hearts; but it seems impossible that we’ll ever have it. Ignatius had a suggestion, Lisa Kelly says:

Ignatius told his companions that the solution to dealing with this tension . . . is to step back in prayer and recognize and name both poles, the current reality and the future desire of our heart. As a detached observer, to walk around them in our minds and see them from all angles—looking for God’s invitation within them as well as our own over-attachment.

Sometimes the current reality will be really hard to admit because it hints at our failures. Sometimes we are too focused on the future to see the goodness we have right here and now. Sometimes the now is so good we fear a different future and act out, trying to keep anything from changing. Christ sits next to us in all of these, trying desperately to get us to see He is right here and will be no matter what the future holds.