The Sacred Ache

The Sacred Ache - that place within us that that is never quite fulfilled. 

I heard this term while driving in the car to spend the day with my Aunt Kathy yesterday. When I turned the car on, the radio came alive to a talk show. Turns out my radio was set to a local Christian station, and the show on was "Focus on the Family". Sheila Walsh, Christian singer and speaker, was talking.
I am not often big on listening to talk while in the car. I like music to speed me along. But Sheila's beautiful speaking voice with its musical lilt filled the air in my car, and I found myself listening intently.

 She spoke of times of depression and doubt. Of those times when you give it your all, and it - whatever "it" is you are doing or striving for - still seems to come up short. No matter how others praise us, we know that it is not perfect.
 That we missed those two notes in that psalm. That we hung that picture just a little off-center. That, while the living room looks great, the bedroom upstairs is a disaster.
That no matter how hard we work, it never quite reaches "perfect".

"There will never be that "perfect" book, that "perfect" album, that "perfect" anything....", Walsh said. There will always be that small thing that is "wrong", that is "imperfect".
Instead of letting that imperfection discourage us, make us feel less-than-worthy, we have to recognize it for what it is: The Sacred Ache - the reminder that nothing is perfect apart from God. That this world is not our final home. That everything remains a little less than "just right", until we are united with our Heavenly Father in our Heavenly Home.
The Sacred Ache serves its purpose to draw us closer to the One who is Perfect, who is Perfection itself.

St. Augustine said it best when he said, "You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."

Blessed Mother Teresa told her congregation, "We do not allow ourselves to be disheartened by any failure as long as we have done our best, neither do we glory in our success but refer all to God in deep thankfulness." (Total Surrender, "Our Response")

In news of St. Terese -  I finished reading Chapter 2, Les Buissonnets, about Therese's early life. Her family surrounded her with a great deal of love. Even when her mother died, her sisters poured maternal love on the little girl.

Reading about Therese's magical early years reminds me how important the first years are to a child's formation. Especially a child's religious formation.

Happy 1st day of March to you all!