Fearless Play — O, Beloved!

…it is a movement from the restless senses to the restful spirit, from the outward-reaching cravings to the inward-reaching search, from the fearful clinging to the fearless play.

— ‘You Are The Beloved’ February 8th - Reaching Out (Nouwen)

O, beloved.

I’ve been searching for these words. They might, still, not be perfect…but they are much closer than I could have gotten.

I believe they’re interchangeable (helpful), for all types of longing, or lack, yes?

Nouwen speaks with regard to loneliness here, but beloved? It seems to me, this is the intent behind all of God’s purposed sorrow; all of the bitterness, the smoke.

We’ll have restless senses — aye. We’ll have them until we are fully and finally in the presence of our Beloved King. But, we do, indeed, have hope even now. For all of these restless senses will eventually be fully satisfied, in His Time — in season.

We, must…(gentle)…exercise our will, with the power of His Spirit, to withdraw our outward-reaching – cravings; and instead, employ our efforts elsewhere, towards an inward-reaching search.

Where do we search, beloved? I believe He wants us to search in three ways: His Word, His Creation, and Prayer. Why? What (or whom) are we…searching for? Jesus. We’re searching for Him, beloved, Together.

And, in doing so, our hearts (hopeful) can slowly but surely be cured, by His loving care for us; from a fearful clinging to that which we think can satisfy here and now to, instead: fearless play.

Oh! ‘Fearless play’!? Those words, beloved! They…make me weep. Weep tears of joy! Oh! how I long for fearless play, in every aspect of life, in every way.

We, like sheep, have gone astray, we have turned our own way (Isaiah 53:6). We are prone to wander about, we get banged up, bruised, lost. For we, right now, are not in green pastures, beloved. And! we’re dim-witted, which means we’re so, so, so very helpless.

Our good Shepherd though…He’s leading us to green pastures, beloved! To a Place where we can finally be at rest in His Presence! Where we will no longer need to proceed cautiously, timidly, carefully.

There, we will leap about in fearless play! O, my soul! (hopeful)

O, beloved. We do, indeed, have hope. He is our Hope. Don’t despair, beloved. Have no fear, please.

All is well, even if it doesn’t always feel like it now; even when our senses are restless, and we have trouble finding our way.

Some Day, beloved, when He says it’s Time, we’ll enjoy fearless play — Together.