The Pathway Of Our Desires

Much has been written throughout the ages about the central battle of our life: desire. What we desire is crucial because in the end, we get what we want. Either we die wanting what God offers, or we die not wanting it. Either we love what and whom God loves, or we don’t. (To quote Bob Dylan, “They may call you Doctor or they may call you Chief, but you’re gonna have to serve somebody …”)

You see, sometimes we are fooled into believing that everyone wants to go to Heaven, but that isn’t true. Heaven is not your own personally designed paradise; it is the Kingdom of God with all of its values: forgiveness, chastity, love of all (including our enemies), and generosity, among many others. In addition, God is at the center, not us. Many people don’t desire some or all the values of the Kingdom of God and thus die in a state of indifference or opposition to what God is offering. For example, some do not want to love their enemies or live chastely. A loving God will not force them to love what or whom He loves. 

Sarah Winchester and the Winchester House

In my twenties I traveled substantially across the American West, taking in such natural wonders as the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone Park, Yosemite, and much more. But one of the most fascinating stops of all of those trips was a visit to the Winchester House, also known as the Winchester Mystery House. This house stands as an testimony to the famous saying, ‘If a lie is printed enough, it becomes a quasi-truth, and if such a truth is repeated often enough, it can become an article of belief, a dogma, and a substitute for the real thing’. Put simply, it is a prime example of the adage that you can't always believe what you hear. 

When I took my tour of this famous house the tour guide emphasized repeatedly the love of the occult that Sarah Winchester possessed, (pun intended) and how this devotion motivated her architectural decisions when building and expanding her home. Stories were weaved about rooms designed to trap or repel ghosts, staircases with mysterious numbers of steps, bells that were used to summon spirits, and many more stories designed to highlight the mystery about the house and its construction. 

The truth, however, is found in none of these sayings. 

"Faith Keeps Our Hope In Sight"

[Excerpt from an article by Pastor Chuck Swindoll]

Is it really possible to smile through the difficult trials of life?

Well, if anyone had reason for resentment rather than rejoicing, it would have been Nancy and Ed. Back in 1995, their close friend, widowed with two teenage children, died of cancer. Nancy and Ed adopted her children, which instantly grew their family of four to a household of six.

A few months later, as Nancy and Ed rehearsed for their church’s annual Christmas program, their house went up in flames and burned to the ground.

The next weekend, neighbors organized a search party to sift through the ashes for anything valuable that may have survived. They found a piece of paper, well-preserved, with a timely message encouraging a smile:

Contentment: Realizing that God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.

For Nancy and Ed, that simple statement was like hearing the voice of God from a burning bush! He saw them. He heard them. He was with them.

Gordon Lightfoot (1938-2023)