Journey to the Center of the Father's Heart

Sometimes we have to be careful what we pray for. If we pray to come closer to or be drawn into the Heart of our Father or desire more meaning in our lives, He will do it. The thing is that we don't fully know what it takes, what that means. Although, we are all different and have different paths, coming closer to the Father involves surrender, choosing the good no matter what the cost or what we want, and saying no to sinful habits or inclinations. In other words, there will be a letting go and a releasing of what we held onto, both of which can be painful and humbling.

If we want to get to the Father, we follow the Son down the Via Dolorosa to the Cross. He not only made it possible for us to connect to the Father, but Christ also shows us how, through selfless, loving obedience we can get there.  Christ also shows us that it is worth it. He overcame death and, with his help and love, we can overcome sin, fear, and addiction… anything that is killing our relationships with others, with God, and ourselves; however, it takes the work of our entire being and being consumed with the fire of God's love.

Imagine for a moment that you are a space shuttle and that Earth is the Father's heart. You've chosen to leave or work on your own (for a moment, for a day, for years), so you've been out in space for some time. There the rules are different; you seem freer because there's no gravity to hold you down. But all the supposed freedom has gotten you off course. What is important has been blurred by space dust and you're tired of trying to do it on your own.

Like a good father, our Father never leaves or forgets us, so while in orbit, there is always a connection to His love. We are constantly being invited to come home. So, we've decided to go for it and Father at Mission Control guides us with the procedures to re-enter life with Him. This cannot be done without His guidance, without His love. So He gives us help. He gives us a flight crew, people who have been there before, to help us, and He sends us his Holy Spirit.

As a space shuttle since we've been in space for a while we've been flying upside down, nose first so we have to be pitched the right direction. Leftover fuel (selfish desires, whatever got us away in the first place, perhaps) has to be burned away because the extra heat could ignite an unwanted fire. Because the heat of returning to His heart will be intense, His Holy Spirit will be there for protection as insulation.

With everything in place, the descent begins… the return journey commences, and it is a journey that must be committed to because it will not be easy. At times it will seem like we will explode. But this fire is necessary because we are getting closer to the Divine and the fire purifies us. There will be times of silence because of the heat. It may seem that our Father has left us, but the Holy Spirit is there steering us on the right path. We have not been abandoned into the fire. Just when we think we are completely lost, our Father communicates with us again, reassuring us that we are not alone in this. We will hit walls…limits towards love that we have placed on ourselves, sins, or old wounds that have to be faced…because of the friction caused by the heat. Even the smallest speck of dust (for us, temptations or self-destructive thoughts) could knock us off our trajectory. This is why it is so important to stay on track, to be led by the Holy Spirit, and to be assisted by the flight crew. It may even seem easier to give up or go back, thinking, “Maybe we can land another day,” because the contrast of what we feel seems so much harder than when we weren’t feeling.

Yet, if we stay the course and surrender ourselves… our control… to the Father, one day, we will be guided to healing through steep angles and slowed down enough to land safely on the ground…right into our Father's heart. There we will be welcomed and celebrated among cheers because we who were once lost have now been found. We will be embraced by His immense love, and although weary, be filled with joy and renewed when He says, “Welcome home, my child, I've been waiting for you. Come, refresh yourself, for now I need your help getting others back.”