Amy Jo – artist, wife, friend (and the worship/prayer Interactions Manager for Heaven Fest ) – is a bit ahead of the rest of us in sharing her take on Chapters 10 and 11 from The Sacred Romance – Drawing Closer to the Heart of God, by Brent Curtis and John Eldridge.   Amy Jo is soulful and thoughtful, deeply spiritual and a sojourner into the unchartered  roaring waterfalls  of God.

 

Previous commentaries on our thoughts about this book here.     Next book, The Shack.   Wanna join us??

 

Chapters 10 & 11 of The Sacred Romance: On the Road and Desert Communion, from Amy Jo

 

“But we who would be born again indeed, must wake our souls unnumbered times a day.” –George MacDonald

 

 

 

“We have been rescued, but still the choice is ours to stay in our small stories, clutching our household gods and false lovers, or to run in search of life.” (p.144)

 

“And we—who are we, really? We are not pond scum, nor are we the lead in the story. We are the Beloved; our hearts are the most important thing about us and our desire is wild because it is made for a wild God.   We are the Beloved, and we are addicted. We’ve either given our heart to other lovers and can’t get out of the relationships, or we’ve tried our best to kill desire (often with the help of others) and live lives of safe, orderly control. Either way, we play into the hands of the one who hates us. Satan is the mortal enemy of God and therefore ours as well, who comes with offers of less-wild lovers, hoping to deceive us in order to destroy our heart and thus prevent our salvation or cripple our sanctification. These are the stage, the characters, and the plot in the broadest possible terms. Where do we go from here?” (p. 148)

 

 

“Pretending that life is easier and more blessed than it really is hinders our ability to walk with God and share Him with others. Faith is not the same thing as denial.” (p. 150)

 

“One of the most poisonous of all Satan’s whispers is simply, ‘Things will never change.’ That lie kills expectation, trapping our heart forever in the present.” (p. 156)

 

“Memory, imagination, and a passion for glory—these we must keep close at hand if we are to see the journey to its end.” (p. 158)

 

“The spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, meditation (heart prayer), fasting, and simplicity practiced by Christ and passed on to us by the traditions of the Desert Fathers bring us through our emptiness and thirst into the presence of God.” (p. 175)

 

 

Amy Jo: So my review for these chapters is all snippets… quotes from the text, to which I don’t really have anything to add, so I am including a prayer I wrote on Sunday…

 

06.22.08 – From the Beloved

 

Where am I—according to You, God?

According to me, I am lost again

(Which is fine as long as You’re with me.)

But I also feel I’m on the verge of Being mislead—

Of choosing a belief that isn’t from You

But I can’t tell, so I am mislead

(Which is worse than just being lost).

 

What is Your nature, God?

I really thought I knew and

I really thought I was beginning to see

My place in Your plan, but now?

Now I’m starting to think Your plan

Is so big and beyond my ideas that

I probably won’t ever get it unless You show me.

 

I want to know Your plan, God—

If You don’t think it’s too much for me to know.

I want to know what You’re really like and

What You really made me to be.

What pleases You? Is it simple? Is it always work?

Balance in my head Your mercy and justice.

Give my heart freedom to accept Your validation.

 

I am so willing, God

To part with ANY doctrine I have held dear and

Defended if You will help me.

You can rebuild whatever mental “structure”

You think I need to function well in Your plan.

I beg You to give me eyes for the truth—clear vision.

I beg You to help me be more flexible to You!

 

Before I wear myself out, God,

Before I give myself over to so-called “understanding,”

Stop me and pull me back into wonderment

And awe of Your mysteriousness and majesty.

Refresh my spirit. Fill me with Your voice.

Teach me to recognize Light from darkness.

Take me with You—I don’t want to act alone!

 

Take me for a ride, God!

I’m all for an adventure if You’re guiding!

Shock and awe or rest will do—

Whatever You want. Whatever You feel like.

Peaceful, quiet waters suit me fine

But so would hang-on-tight rapids

As long as I’m breathing You and You’re smiling.

 

Take pleasure in me, God!

Fix me so I know stuff You know and

Can tell what You’re thinking—how You’re feeling.

Show me Your Old Testament power mixed with

Your New Testament grace.

Remind me of things I can point to so others can

See Your wildness and the parts of You You want to show.

 

Make me courageous, God!

Brave enough to dream a big dream,

Sure enough of Your presence in it to press on,

Wacky and energetic enough to not slow down,

Wise enough to plan things I can’t even comprehend yet,

Humble enough to fail and keep going, and

Close enough to Your heart to represent You well.

 

Cleanse my mind of pre-conceived notions, God,

Of ill-gotten dogma and false ideas.

Curb for me my attraction to darkness.

Break my heart with what breaks Yours.

Help me when I don’t have words, and

Help me, God, until You help me!

May I worship You forever and in all things.

 

From Jeanie:   Wow, Amy Jo – beautiful.   I know He is hearing you.   And I know He’ll share His heart with you, for He “confides in those who fear Him.”   Thank-you for the creativity you are bringing to this thing!

Pictured: a current pic of Amy Jo and her husband, Damon; and some images she painted about John Bunyan’s “Pilgrim’s Progress” when she was just a girl (1997)   CLICK on images for a closer look.