Head v. Heart

Tuesday 12/20/2011 7:26 AM

This morning I am in Dana Point, enjoying a couple of days away with Jaci.  I went for my morning run and came back in time to enjoy a sunrise while standing on the top of a cliff outside our hotel overlooking the Dana Point Harbor.  Before sitting down for my devotional time I read a pamphlet describing the Dana Point Headlands, where I hope to hike later today, and I went online to read the news from last night.  I enjoy reading very much and I do what I can to stay informed on the latest happenings in the world and the latest theories in math, science and the other disciplines.

My life with God is very much the same.  I enjoy reading my Bible and other materials so that I can stay up to date on what God desires for my life and what he may want from me.  My devotional reading today suggests an alternative to this intellectual pursuit of God.  “For those of you who go into the poustinia, this is the essence of it: to fold the wings of your intellect.  In the civilization of the West everything is sifted through your heads.  You are so intellectual, so full of knowledge of all kinds.  The poustinia brings you into contact first and foremost with solitude.  Secondly, it brings you in contact with God.  Even if you don’t feel anything at all, the fact remains that you have come to have a date with God, a very special rendezvous.”

I am currently enjoying two days of solitude with Jaci, away from the hustle and bustle that characterizes our daily routine.  This allows us to focus on each other completely and to enjoy each other’s company uninhibited by the busyness that too often accompanies our life together.  If my relationship with God is to grow and to flourish I need the same kind of solitude with him.  I need to put my intellectual pursuit of God on the sidelines and lay my head on God’s chest so I can listen to his heartbeat in silence and enjoy his company.