Inconsolable Longing

Prayer doesn’t change God it changes me.  C. S. Lewis

Sehnsucht is a German noun translated as “longing”, “desire”, “yearning”, or “craving”. Some psychologists use the word to represent thoughts and feelings about all facets of life that are unfinished or imperfect, paired with a yearning for ideal alternative experiences.

C.S. Lewis called his diary Sehnsucht.

He described Sehnsucht as an inconsolable longing in the human heart “for which we know not what.” It is a haunting sense of longing which Lewis said touched him throughout his life. It has elements of nostalgia and joy, but also an intense awareness of missing something.

Haven’t you experienced the moment he describes where we grow awkward with friends in the face of such vulnerability and we break the tension with laughter? We are uncomfortable with this feeling, with the awareness that we are lacking and that we are always longing for more…

We all go through periods when even chocolate or a glass of wine can’t satisfy or fill the void. It is that longing for unknown. C.S. Lewis calls “The inconsolable longing.”

St Augustin calls that longing  “the God shaped vacuum in our hearts that only Christ can fill.”

It is in that vacuum when Christ fills it that we are able to love without even trying.  Giving without counting. We also become courageous enough to leave toxic relationship without feeling guilty. Kindness and forgiveness become your second nature. Try it. Ask Christ to fill the vacuum only he can fill and watch him love you, teach you to forgive your enemies and fill your heart with peace that’s beyond words. 

Heavenly Father please bless Island Times and thank you for our freedom to think, feel, write,  and speak truth to power. Amen ♡