Within every person is a longing for something more. I remember feeling, "there must be something more than this life". Many people, like myself, struggle to find meaning in this world. This search will ultimately lead to nothing. King Solomon, who is believed to be the wisest king who ever lived, exclaims "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!" (Ecclesiastes chapter 1). Solomon had obtained an unimaginable amount of wisdom and riches throughout his life. He had great wives and concubines, but all of this was mere vanity to him. King Solomon's wisdom explains the hopelessness many of us feel. There must be something more. Fortunately, there is.
How do we find our hearts desire, and fulfill the longing we have? This question resounded in my mind for many weeks, and often depressed me. What finally brought me peace is the accepting the knowledge that I was made for God, and only he would be able so satisfy and give me something more than this life. I believe this desire is inherent in every human. Studies on child development (of which I have heard of many years ago) found that when a babe was deprived of intimacy from a mother, it would stop eating and moving, eventually losing motivation to live then die. I feel we are all babes (babies not ladies) that need this intimacy from our father, God.
Our search for this intimacy often takes us to God's creation. Buddhist monks talk about becoming one with nature and each other. They teach of the peace which comes from a transcendence of connecting with the trees, animals, and each other. I feel these monks are not too far from the truth. Through watching a sunset, touching a beautiful oak, or pursuing a woman, I feel a slight sense of beauty, of intimacy. We get a slight glimpse of God through his creation, but this will not bring us the fulfillment of the intimacy we desire. Even sex, which is the epitome of human intimacy by which we catch a quick glimpse into the love God created us for, eventually fails to satisfy the longing. King Solomons advice to us is to indulge ourselves, enjoy every part of life, and then discover the nothingness of it all and turn to God. He claims eternity has been placed in the hearts of men.
From my own experience I have discovered only intimacy with God my father satisfies the longing of my soul. Through this I am able to enjoy life more. A sunset can almost bring me to tears as I see deeper than the creation, I see the love of my dad as he tries to woo our hearts toward him. It's beautiful. It's romantic. It's God.
