Restlessness

Today we observe the feast day of St. Augustine. A theologian of the early church, Augustine's life has been much chronicled- from his early debauchery to his later dedication. Much of the significant theology of the Reformation stemmed from the writings of Augustine as well.

I have a quote from him that I have been pondering for many months:
"Thou madest me for thyself and my heart is restless until it repose in thee."

There are several things I like about this: the acknowledgment of God as creator and of creation and created beings having a purpose for God. I also appreciate the description of restlessness.

Our hearts do wander. We wrestle over our control issues, our agonies and ecstasies, and our hopes and fears. We repeatedly forget that we are not God and the One who is (God) waits in everlasting welcome for us.

As we struggle, we look for the equilibrium, the balance, between accepting God's mystery and seeking out further answers. Somewhere in there, when we relinquish control, or the idea of control, we find ourselves held in God's arms, a place that is our home, a place in which we were created to reside.