Articles & Posts

Protect the Epicenter

Our podcast the weeks of June 20th and 27th offers a conversation with several members of our team about how everybody’s doing these days, especially with regard to our reserve tanks. I’ve been polling a number of mature people lately—inside the Wild at Heart world and beyond––and the nearly unanimous response is that folks are running on very low reserves. Of course you are. We are now in the “cascade effect” of the past two years. It’s like a car accident—there’s the crash, then the adrenaline response to handle the immediate aftermath. Later (sometimes much later), you realize your neck is killing you or your back just isn’t right. The immediate blow, then the aftereffects. We are now experiencing the cascade effects of exhaustion, mental fragmentation, irritability, and something I want to call “apathy creep”—though I need to explain what I mean. Life is asking 100 percent of us. Most of us have way less than 100 percent to give these days. (Right?) So we make it through another day, another week, but when we get home we don’t have the energy to rally for anything else. We start to let go of things like the gym, saying yes to a BBQ, even making dinner. Allen on our team used to love going to the gym; it was life-giving. He hasn’t been in a long time. Jamie loves to make nutritious meals for her family, but she admitted they are getting takeout way more often these days. Like that. It’s not necessarily apathy creep in a pure sense. We still care about things, we just don't have the energy to care about things enough to see them through. Getting out of commitments feels like relief right now. I’ve been doing loads of interviews on major podcasts because I released a book in June on all this—and how to recover. It’s called Resilient; Restoring Your Weary Soul in These Turbulent Times. Every single time, as I begin to name the reality of the cascade, weariness, low reserves, and all the signs that go with it, my hosts and their guests start nodding in agreement. “Wow—I hadn't put words to it, but that’s exactly how I feel.” One major host admitted he can’t find the energy to be creative right now. Another confessed he’s trying to get out of social engagements; he just doesn’t have the energy. What I think is even more telling is the early reaction to Resilient and the 30 Days to Resilient feature we just added to the Pause app (a morning and evening meditation that is simply gorgeous). One woman shared with us, in tears, “I knew something was wrong, I just couldn't name it. But this is it, and I’m so grateful for the care you are offering.” Another said, “Thank you for this. It’s a balm to my weary, weary soul.” So folks are now putting words to the cascade effects of the last few years and their very low tanks. They are aware of the apathy creep. But what finally came clear to me was what the enemy is up to in all this. I thought his main goal was to wear us down, lure us into pursuit of relief that doesn’t have anything to do with God, really, then hammer us with disappointment when we get back from vacation and realize nothing’s changed. (I still believe this is true.) But what I now see is that the apathy creep is what he is after, especially as it works its way to the epicenter. We begin by not going out as much; it moves closer to home as we start getting takeout, skipping our daily walk, not reading much anymore. Slowly, the creep moves into things essential for our well-being. But the epicenter of the creep—the things the enemy is licking his chops over—is that feeling that we’re too tired to pray or do any of the other things that maintain our life in God. Because even as we rolled out Resilient and 30 Days, my friends were sort of half-hearted about it. “Maybe later.” Even team members. Doing any sort of spiritual care feels like “work.” When prayer feels like work we don’t have energy for, the creep has reached the epicenter. And this is the plan to take us out: Move that creep (which is real) closer and closer to the epicenter, where we begin to let go of our lifeline to God. We just want to veg with a beer on the deck. Leave me alone. Don’t ask me to do anything else right now. And so I’m having T-shirts made for my team: “Protect the Epicenter!” Protect the Epicenter, friends! Do not let this creep erode the things you do to maintain—and deepen—your union with Jesus! If you lose God, you will be truly lost. Jamie admitted she finally started doing 30 Days on the Pause app, and in her words, “It was so easy, so life-giving.” Exactly. The enemy wants you to make you feel like soul care and spiritual practices are too much, because he knows that from the epicenter of our life with God we will find the strength and replenishment to come back. The cascade effects are real. The creep is real. But, friends—you must protect the epicenter! Recover your practices to draw deeply on God’s strength in this hour! Get the audiobook for Resilient and just let me read to you. 30 Days to Resilient is in the One Minute Pause app (free in the App Store) and will gently, lovingly bring solace. Big time. Download the Wild at Heart Summer 2022 Newsletter here.

John Eldredge

Defend Margin

Over the years, what I’ve tried to do with these letters is to share with you what I’m hearing from Jesus, and what I’m seeing unfold in the world, so that we all might walk more closely with him and strengthen ourselves with his strength in this Hour. I think that’s the single most helpful thing I can offer. So here’s what I have been sensing lately… At the top of the year, when Stasi and I were doing some listening prayer (asking Jesus his advance words for 2022 for us), one of the things he said was, “Defend margin.” We had a sense that we needed to make extra room in our calendar for unforeseen circumstances that were coming. (So kind of God not to tell us what was coming, just to create some margin.) We created that margin…and then it got eaten by those unforeseen circumstances. But I’m very glad we at least had some breathing room built in. If we hadn’t, we would have been candles burning at both ends. Then I began hearing a number of stories from different people, each with unique circumstances but all with the same theme––life becoming so full and demanding they haven’t really any personal time to catch their breath. The stories kept coming––folks navigating all sorts of challenges in their personal lives for months, perhaps years, as well as the global trauma and the warfare of the Hour which we’ve been talking about on our podcast and in these letters. The effect is that these dear people are now running on very low reserves. These are mature saints, folks who know how to live responsibly, walk closely with God, and practice soul care. But nevertheless, the demands keep coming and they find themselves awfully tired at the end of a week. But then comes the next thing demanding their attention. Here’s the dark twist––the stories all have enough differences that the people in them feel unique and rather alone in their situation. They don't see their stories as somehow confirming larger movements. What they see is their child's learning disabilities and heartaches. What they see is their spouse’s battle with cancer. What they see is the financial strain, which they feel embarrassed about. And each story is so personal, it feels isolating, so they don't realize that most of the friends of Jesus are undergoing the same thing. I've been feeling for some time now that the Enemy's plan is to wear people down, and then offer us some sort of relief, which isn't the same thing as deep intimacy with God. (Relief and restoration are very different things.) Relief says, just get me to that vacation. Let me buy some new clothes. Let's just go out to dinner. I just want to veg and watch movies. Whatever else you think about the pandemic, I want to point out the psychological drain that the common, long-term physical effects have on a person. A friend of mine still can’t get out and cycle even a year after his bout with Covid. Another has rallied, but he’s noticing if he ever really pushes himself physically, he’s wiped out for a few days. One friend’s daughter has had to give up her dancing because her body has just not recovered; she now has chronic fatigue. And of course those heartaches then weigh on the parents, maybe even more deeply, because they can’t seem to help. These are widespread phenomena, and they point to the larger, draining nature of this Hour. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that when Daniel talks about the work of the enemy towards the climax of the age, one of the phrases he uses is that he will wear down the people of God. “He will defy the Most High God and wear down the saints…and he will try to change all laws, morals, and customs.” (Daniel 7:25 TLB) I do have to say, I’m seeing that everywhere. But especially among the friends of God. Notice I said the friends of God. There’s an important difference between people who identify as Christians and people who are the friends of Jesus. It has to do with devotion, and attention; it has to do with priorities. It especially has to do with partnership, because the friends of God want to partner with God and what he’s up to. Our enemy is happy to leave casual Christians alone for the most part. The folks that get his attention, get into his crosshairs, are the true friends of God. And those folks are telling me a lot of stories of personal situations that have them pretty worn out. Back to what Jesus said to Stasi and me at the start of the year. Defend margin. We did, and then the crises came, and thank God we had the margin. But it all got used up. So now what I need to do is look at the next quarter, and make sure that I am creating margin again. Summer for us is usually a time for recharging our batteries. But with some shock I looked at the calendar and realized that our summer is almost filled with demands. So I'm going to have to go back and create margin. And defend it. The Enemy is a brilliant strategist. He knows the friends of God are his biggest problem. So he’s wearing us down, making it difficult for us to navigate the challenges of the world in this Hour. So this is my simple recommendation to you––defend margin. Create it, even if it is costly to create. And then defend it. Because we can’t control all the twists and turns of life. What we can do is make wise plans that accommodate for what is happening to the saints in this Hour, and one of those pieces of wise accommodation is to create and defend margin. You’ll be so grateful you did. Download the Wild at Heart Spring 2022 Newsletter.

John Eldredge

Ten Bridesmaids

I want to begin this letter with a big, resounding Thank You! We finished our ministry year in December right where our donations needed to be! You helped us out of the red and into the black with an outpouring of generosity, and I just want to say thank you so, so much! If you’ve been following the podcast at all (and I hope you do; it is so good for your heart!), you know that we’ve been reflecting on the parable of the Ten Bridesmaids. I'm not alone in believing that this parable is where we are in human history. Let me tell you why, and how its warning can rescue us. First, let’s remember what life is: Life is a story that God is telling. And like every other story, this one doesn't stay in the same place. Stories that don’t go anywhere are really boring stories. Our story is currently racing towards its climax; Jesus wanted us to be prepared for the unique pressures such an hour brings. That’s why, after he talked about the pressures in Matthew 24, he told this parable in Matthew 25: “At that time [the end of this age] the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matthew 25:1-13 NIV) It’s unnerving, to be honest. I think Jesus meant it to be. Let's seize the obvious points first: There are wise bridesmaids and foolish bridesmaids, smart ones and dumb ones. The smart bridesmaids have taken care to bring along extra oil. The dumb ones don't, and it doesn’t go well for them. The oil represents the presence of God in our lives. As C. S. Lewis observed, God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. (Mere Christianity) Crises like global pandemics are draining. You don't want to run out of gas, out of the presence of God in your life. Jesus urges us to be intentional, to make sure that we have more than enough to make it through today; he wants us to make sure we have reserves. Full tanks, lives filled with God. So the question of the hour, the question every follower of Jesus needs to be asking, is this: What are you doing on a daily basis to make sure you have enough oil? That you are cultivating a plentiful reserve of the presence of God in your life? Right now, people are glad just to get something of their normal lives back. We’ve got restaurants, we’ve got travel––everything’s okay! But that’s a brilliant delusion, because tacos and a week at the beach are not going to see you through the rest of the year. Only the presence of your loving God can do that. The pandemic was a “shaking.” There are reasons to believe that another shaking is coming. I’m not a doomsday prophet. I can simply tell you that the men and women I know who hear from God in deep and profound ways have a sense we aren’t out of the woods yet. That’s why it’s so important to be deeply grounded in God right now, cultivating a rich supply of his presence in our very souls. Let me make this very specific. Here’s a “bare minimum” plan; this isn’t everything, but it will get you going: Morning prayer, before anything else. Especially before you check your phone, email, or the news. Get on the Wild at Heart app, listen to the Daily Prayer every day. Then linger with something devotional. I recommend the Lectio365 app, a morning and evening devotional that takes about ten minutes. Learn to release the pressures, demands, and madness. Use our Pause app to practice benevolent detachment and restore your union with Jesus. This takes three minutes; do it midmorning and midafternoon. Worship and bedtime prayer. Before you end your day, spend a few moments worshiping God. Do the evening Lectio365 segment. Finish with the Bedtime Prayer on the Wild at Heart app. This will create a rhythm to your day that keeps you centered in Jesus and allows the oil of his presence to fill your tanks. Success is in the rhythms we create for our souls. Like I said, it’s not everything. We need Christian fellowship, joy, play, nature, the sacraments. But the plan I just gave you is simple and sustainable. Let’s be smart bridesmaids even though we might be surrounded by less-than-smart ones. Download the Wild at Heart February Newsletter.

John Eldredge

A Time of Madness

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." Charles Dickens wrote "A Tale of Two Cities" nearly two hundred years ago. His prescient voice makes me wonder, “Has it always been the best of times and the worst of times?” because it certainly feels true now. Except for the best of times part. Yes, we have unprecedented medical advancements; advancements that are available for you to benefit from if you live in certain parts of the world. Yes, there are technological advancements so vast that they are mind boggling. (I’m not sure if I should put those in the best category or the worst category. I’ll give way that it belongs in both places for different reasons but the warning sign flashing on the soul to drop its siren songs of ease and false connection and run for the hills is very real.) Yes, there is toilet paper, electricity and for most, running water from our faucets. There is same day delivery, one stop shopping from our living rooms, and drive throughs coming through in a nick of time. Yet the pace at which the world is running requires us to run to keep up and most of us are out of breath. Additionally, turning on the news or dropping onto social media can leave both your head and your heart spinning. We live in a mad world. It has always been so. It is getting worse. And in this mad world, my soul is increasingly rebelling against the quick drive through attempts to soothe it that I toss its way. The soul needs space. It needs quiet. It needs rest. It needs room to slow down. It needs rhythms of grace and it needs to be tended by practices that will nourish it. It needs care. You need care. The soul has always needed care but never more so than when it finds itself navigating a time like the one we are living in. To survive, we can grit our teeth and gut it out and make it through the end of the day. To thrive, we have to stop gritting our teeth, gutting it out and instead open our hands and pay attention to our eternal selves - then we can make it through the decades not with a withered sense of self but with a robust one. Our soul needs tending. Our hearts are crying out. “There has to be more!” The Voice is real. There is more. There is a banqueting table prepared for us to feast at where our famished selves can be satisfied. We are not meant to live from scraped crumbs to scraped crumbs but from deep abundance to deep abundance. Like the crowd in Mark 8, we too are to “eat and be satisfied.” Taste and see that indeed the Lord is good. Jesus says, “the one who feeds on Me will live because of Me. This is the bread that came down from Heaven.” (John 6:58) Life is what we are made for. We will not find it apart from Life Himself. He is holding out his hands to us even now to say, “Stop. Be still for a while. Listen to the cry of your heart. Bring your cries to Me.” “Jesus, Light of the world, as I look to you today in what feels like a world gone mad and choose to follow you, would you please illuminate my way. Spirit of Truth, help me to navigate what this day holds. Thank you that in it all and through it all, you hold me. Bread of Heaven, would you nourish me with your Presence. As I quiet my soul in this very moment, breathing in your Presence, help me to fix the gaze of my heart on you and your all-encompassing love. In Jesus’ Name, I pray. Amen.”

Stasi Eldredge

Merry Christmas

Dear Friends, A most heartfelt Merry Christmas and Christmastide to you and yours! If you receive this by post I’m not sure when it will reach you, but wherever you are in the holiday season may joy be yours in abundance! After year two of the pandemic I think all of us are longing for beauty and love and sacred moments this December. So let’s remember, friends, beautiful things like love and joy and sacred moments do not just happen. They are something we contend for, something we help usher in through our choices and prayers. I felt Jesus move me in this Christmas letter to give you something wonderful to help you navigate the holidays and protect the joy he has for you. The phrase I have been praying, invoking, and comforting myself with lately is, “Your Glory, Your Love, Your Kingdom.” Let me share why... First, the hope we celebrate in the coming Messiah is the hope of the arrival of a great and victorious King, who will usher in a great and glorious Kingdom: The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. (Isaiah 9:2,6-7) Christmas is so much more than Bethlehem. Bethlehem is thrilling because the King we love and long for has come to retake this world, unleashing the Kingdom. I think we forget that Christmas is about the triumphant invasion of the Kingdom of God! We rejoice because it is only in God’s Kingdom we can find the lasting joy, love, and all the sacred moments we long for. Next comes Love. We’ve been living in a stressful time for almost two years now, and folks are frayed at the edges. Friends of ours were not able to gather with their families for Thanksgiving either because of travel restrictions, or because various family members were drawing lines about who is admitted depending on their vaccine status. The holidays have always been a time to navigate relationships, but all the more so this year. If we’re going to find our way to everything Jesus has for us, we need to live in the authority and ethos of his Kingdom this holiday season, and the ethos of his Kingdom is always love. Jesus is the Prince of Peace because he rules through love, and love brings peace into social tension and frayed relationships. I find I’m having to choose love a lot more this season, and even to invoke love through my prayers into our various gatherings and relationships. Lastly, let me add the wonder and power of the Glory of God. Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. (Isaiah 60:1-2) What is this glory? Why is it important for us just now? Remember the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. Christ has the attendants fill six stone jars with water; each jar could hold up to 30 gallons. Then Jesus turns every drop into wine––and fine, sumptuous wine at that. One hundred and eighty gallons of exquisite wine poured into the party at the end of the evening. After telling that story, the Gospel says, “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him” (John 2:17). What exactly did Cana “reveal”? God’s supernatural power to overcome shortage and deprivation with overwhelming abundance! That’s his glory; he did it by the power of his glory. Paul, writing in the book of Romans, is trying to help us understand the availability of the power of God for us, in us. He turns to the resurrection, and he says, “It was by the glory of God that Jesus was raised from the dead.” The glory of God––the regenerative, resurrecting, glory of God. “The whole world is filled with his glory” (Isaiah 6:3). Think of the sun, how absolutely wonderful the sun is! Its radiance, beauty, and cheerfulness; how much life it gives! It is pulsating with the glory-power of God. Think of the oceans and the forests of the world––how vast they are, how filled with life. The whole world is filled with the glory of God. It is the life-giving, life-sustaining, generative power of God. So, for our purposes here, when you think of the glory of God “risen upon you,” think of the sun, the ocean, water turned into wine, and Christ raised from the dead. Think of Eden. You’ve heard me talk about Desolation in my letters and podcasts. If you follow the flow of Scripture and human history, you can see that our enemy wants to make everything a desolate wasteland, from society to the human heart. But this King of Bethlehem intends to make everything a restored Eden!! So when it comes to the resilience we need against Desolation, part of that provision is our Father’s Eden Glory––the glory of God in you and around you, giving you supernatural resilience and guarding you like a shield. So here’s what I'm suggesting for your holidays: that you invoke the glory of God, the love of God, and the Kingdom of God into every aspect of your life. Your Glory, Your Love, Your Kingdom, Lord, in my heart and soul. In my family and household. In our Christmas observances. In every joy and gift of happiness you have for me. Your Glory. Your Love. Your Kingdom. I think you'll find it to be very, very helpful! Offered with Christmas love and blessings––not only from me, but from all your friends here at Wild at Heart. Love, John Download the Wild at Heart December 2021 newsletter here.

John Eldredge

Passages.

I have mentioned before that I hate endings, partings, goodbyes; even “see you laters” can be fraught with emotion for me when I don’t have any idea when the “later” will be. We have had horses for 17 years. They have been boarded at Wolf Ranch 3 minutes from our home. One of them was Kokolo, a gorgeous paint, Blaine’s horse. But when Blaine got busy in high school and then moved away first to college then to grad school - well, he was John and my horse. He was a noble horse. Regal as only a horse can be regal. He was mighty yet gentle. Opinionated yet never once reared up in all his years. When colic took his life oh so suddenly 3 years ago, the loss of him was heartbreaking to us all. Heartbreaking. Even if Kokolo hadn’t seen Blaine for 9 months, he would rejoice in recognition, whinnying in delight at their reunion. In Kokolo’s heart, though I know he loved John and I, he remained Blaine’s horse. Blaine was the only one who could leap onto Kokolo’s back with no saddle and together run in glory. It was a sight to see. But it was me who took care of Kokolo most of the time for many years. It was me who gave him grain and groomed him. It was me who took him out to the pasture and brought him back in; me who tended him when ill, me who waited while the vet did her thing, me who stood mostly patiently by holding him steady while the farrier cared for him. It was me with all of them. I admit that I am aware my memory plays tricks on me now enlarging my role. It certainly wasn’t always me. Not even close. But still. I have my memories. I have those years. I didn’t grow up with horses. I didn’t dream of them as a child or an adult. My husband did all three. In my forties, they were thrust upon me - though I was willing. In those early years, my Father was teaching me a whole new terrain of my heart through them calling me to rise up and learn. To not give in to fear at the horse’s power. To become strong. To grow. To love them. To let them heal me in ways I didn’t know I needed. And I did. I studied. I worked. I grew. I healed. My heart changed - enlarging in places to the shape of a horse. Kokolo’s long term companion is Whistle, a beautiful bay with two white socks on his rear legs. He was a cutting horse in his youth - of fine pedigree and is stunning. Horse people always ask about his line. Whistle is gentle yet needs much assurance - coming close and nuzzling often. Whistle is John’s horse. A natural horseman, only he could give Whistle the assurance that he needed. Watching them together was a living symphony. John - so at home on Whistle, Whistle exhibiting his glory stride by stride. Whistle got injured 4 years ago. He can no longer be ridden but his beauty is not diminished. Still the loss of that glory stung. The vet thought we should consider putting him down. John said an unequivocal “No.” and nursed him slowly, day by day over many months back to the place where Whistle could walk again without a limp - and now - well, now Whistle can run. When Kokolo died, the cries from Whistle lasted for two days - sounds no one at the stable had ever heard from a horse before. Sounds that would break your heart. Whistle grieved for months. Perhaps he grieves still. I know he remembers. We sure do. The stable provided new companionship for Whistle, so he wasn’t alone but none of these horses were Kokolo - the horse he had grazed with, run with and sometimes been run off by for 17 years. It’s been hard. Today, Whistle was trailered by John off the ranch Whistle has known for the better part of his life. He is going to live on Blaine’s farm now. He got into the trailer easily but became anxious once inside - whinnying for his old life. We prayed. I pray even now - peace to his heart. Peace and ease to the transition. He is moving an hour away. He will be cared for and loved well and soon meet a new companion horse. I am so grateful that he is tucking in even more closely to our family. I will still see him though not nearly as often. No, not nearly as often. I have been going to Wolf Ranch for the better part of 17 years. Today was an ending. A goodbye. A passing with no “see you later” to the place. I took pictures of Whistle’s stall, the stall that used to be Kokolo’s. The stall I have wept with Whistle in, told my secrets to, prayed over, and tended. I paid attention to the fragrance, listened to the unique sound of my footsteps on the sandy gravel soaking it all in. I stood and remembered the place of learning, the place of apprenticeship, the place of challenge and beauty and longing and Fathering and loss and love. I wept. My heart clenching in my chest. My tears falling in longing to hold on to the goodness and my soul almost bursting with the hope of the End to endings that can’t come soon enough.

Stasi Eldredge

A Brilliant Month for Us

October has been a brilliant month for us, for so many reasons. We held our first live Captivating retreat in over two years this month, and it was...breathtaking! We honestly weren’t sure what it would be like, after these hard pandemic years and all the political tension. No one even talked about Covid; it was as if it didn't exist. Instead, everyone turned their hearts towards Jesus! The atmosphere was so loving, so thirsty for God! And he came, like always, and ushered in his beautiful work. One of the women who attended tried to take her life the week before the event. Her husband intervened—he called us and got her into the retreat at the last minute. She came with a very broken heart. Jesus was waiting. He moved deeply, powerfully, breaking the dark holds on her life and setting her free. At the end of the four days, her countenance was shining. She was alive! Jesus did that for hundreds and hundreds of women. Oh, friends––there is nothing in heaven or on earth as beautiful as redemption. The very same weekend friends of ours were holding “BASICs” in the US and around the British Isles. “BASIC” is our full, four-day Wild at Heart retreat by video session, film clips and all. We made our men’s and women’s events available this way several years ago, for free, and hundreds have taken place right through the pandemic. My friend wrote me afterwards to say that he was speechless at how deeply God worked among the men. But his greatest joy was to have a dear friend, the only unbeliever who attended, come to Christ and be baptized at the close! There simply is nothing like the beauty of redemption, the healing of a human heart and life. Another BASIC took place in Scotland, with a group of pretty rough characters attending––guys off the streets and fresh out of drug rehab programs. I got to have a video chat with them; their faces were absolutely shining. Clearly, their hearts had been healed, set free. “No Jesus message has ever touched my life,” one man said. “This unlocked my heart!” The beauty of God’s redemptive work through the Gospel of the Heart. Unlocking each human heart, and the heart of Jesus as he really is. I was raised Catholic, spent over 15 years studying the Bible at CBS (Community Bible Study). I’m an engineer, have three adult sons (one who is on the spectrum), one adult daughter, and five grandchildren. Fifteen months ago my husband of 37 years died after a short battle with stomach cancer. My relationship with Jesus was rocked (to put it mildly). A coworker gave me a copy of Beautiful Outlaw. THIS – CHANGED – EVERYTHING!!!! Since then, I have given away 40 copies (and counting). I think because of Covid, the forced isolation and all the other crazy things happening in this world, people are STARVING to hear the truth about who Jesus really is and what that really means in their lives. Beautiful Outlaw blows open all the crazy limits (and a TON of other things!) that we put on God and restores our hope in being able to have a real and impactful relationship with the God of the universe. Like I said––October has been a brilliant, bright, shining month for us as hundreds and hundreds of these stories pour in from around the world! And there is more to come. We’re holding our first Wild at Heart Boot Camp since the pandemic next month, we’ve launched a new podcast for women (Captivated), we’re creating a new film series we believe will reach millions, and our friends and allies are holding events offering this message all over the place! The sweeping beauty of redemption is growing, friends! It’s increasing, despite the world around us. Jesus is really moving! And you have your own stories to tell. Oh, how we love being your friends in this hour! (Thank you, by the way, for all of the great responses to this newsletter! We hear such amazing stories about the impact of this simple missive each month!) Jesus is moving very deeply. We are keeping up as best we can. But we do need your help. We need your financial investment in this mission. (THANK YOU to all who do!) We are a “crowd-funded” mission, which means that each and every year we rely on the support of our friends and allies to fill our piggy bank so we can keep the lights on and keep bringing podcasts, films, live events, and all we do to the world. There is SO much more redemption to take place. Such beauty waiting to unfold. Would you invest in that with us? We don’t plead, we don’t beg. We don’t have any grants, and we don’t do fundraising campaigns. We simply let our friends know a few times a year that we could use some help. Now is that time. Your gifts to us are investments in the rescue of a million more hearts. They are investments in the beauty of redemption––what could be more thrilling? You can give online on our website, wildatheart.org; you can give in the return envelope; and now, you can give easily on our app! (The WildAtHeart app is available for free on the app store!) At the close of our Captivating event, one woman said, “I’ve been waiting for this all my life.” Jesus has given us a very special access to the human heart, to bring his healing and redemption there. In millions of hearts around the world. Thank you for investing in that, friends! You share in the joy and in the praise when Christ returns! Thanks for supporting us here this fall; we are truly grateful. Download the Wild at Heart October 2021 Newsletter here.

John Eldredge

Keep Recovery and Resilience in Front of You

The early stages of fall are upon us. Children (of all ages) are back to school, churches are gearing up for their fall programming, small groups are reconvening, work is getting busier, and summer vacations are in the rearview mirror. A season of transition. And how is your soul feeling about making this transition? Might be good to check in right now. All change feels like loss at first, but especially this year because our recovery is still tender. When we pass through a series of chronic disappointments like we have in the last eighteen months, we are sensitive to anything that feels like more disappointment. It’s a good idea to check in with your heart… How are you feeling about leaving summer behind and entering into what is usually a more demanding time of year? Are you ready to move into the “push” from September to the holidays? I’ve been writing to you each month (well, most months; I take a break now and then) about guiding our hearts and souls into recovery and resilience. At the start of summer, I suggested that you and Jesus write out a “prescription” for your recovery. Mine was a rescue, though I fought Jesus on it at first. I knew I was beat up and probably overestimating my capacity. But everything in me wanted to travel and go on adventures. Jesus kept saying, No. I kept asking, ”Well how about this? How about that?” We had to work through my insistence that adventure travel was what I needed. Jesus kept saying no, and let me quickly say that looking back, I’m so grateful he did. I needed a really simple summer. Part of my delusion was based on the assumption that I’m fine; things are fine now. As we move into the fall season, I think we’d better keep recovery and resilience in front of us. Just as I needed a “prescription” for my summer, I need one for this fall. We are living in uniquely demanding times, dear ones. I think everyone feels it. In fact, I polled our staff last week on how everyone was doing. I asked the team, “Where do you fall into these three choices?” I feel like we’re getting back to 2019! Normal life has returned. I feel I’m still in the turbulence of these unsettled times. I feel that things are strangely more intense, though I’m not sure why. The vast majority of our team put themselves between turbulence and more intense. How about you? Reread the choices, and let your soul answer for you. Very few folks can honestly say things have settled back into normalcy, into pre-pandemic life. This is why we need to ask Jesus about our fall. We need to be honest about our situation even if the world around us is in global denial. (Which it is, because without Jesus and his kingdom, folks have to cling to every cliche of hope, even if it's delusional.) Jesus, what is the rhythm and pace you have for me this fall? What do you want me “in,” and what do you want me “out of”? Here’s a fun and informative exercise: If you could become a monk, what is the lifestyle you see yourself living? (Come on, we’ve all dreamed about unplugging from our 9-5, running away from it all, living in some beautiful place at a soulful pace.) What would you do if you could have that life? What would it involve as a daily rhythm? Quiet, prayer, meditation, walks, simple work like baking bread. Honestly, you can probably incorporate most of that into your normal life. So, write yourself a prescription for this fall. You know your strengths and weaknesses; you have a sense of what’s being asked of you. What would you recommend to yourself if you were really taking seriously the strength of your soul at this time? I strongly recommend you also ask Jesus for his prescription for you in this hour. Ask him about the plans and assumptions you’ve already made for your life. (Do you really need to have those people over for dinner? Do you really need to repaint that spare room? Do you really need to call that person back this evening?) Honestly, I’m startled at how much I deem to be utterly necessary, but when I ask Christ about it he rescues me from so much pressure. I didn't need to make that call. I didn't need to do that project. I didn't need to get involved in someone else's drama even though I felt I should. Jesus has consistently opened up margin in my life that I didn't think was possible. And in that margin I have been able to go stronger. When athletes are preparing for a big event, they make a plan. They adjust their daily routine in order to rest, eat well, and train. They prepare themselves for what’s coming. Military forces do the same—they up their preparations before deployment. I think it would be really wise to chat with Jesus about your plans for the fall. We want to be resilient, not just “getting by.” In love, John P.S. Our September podcast series will really help you find resilience this fall! Hope you tune in! Download the Wild at Heart September 2021 newsletter here.

John Eldredge

Eden Longings

Dearest friends, Well, how is your summer going? How is your recovery coming along? I hope I don’t need at this point to convince you that we are in need of recovery. The world was absolutely mad and very draining before the pandemic. It was exhausting. On top of that madness, we then lived through 15+ months of global trauma, political unrest, social strife, and economic uncertainty. It had an effect on all of us, no matter how optimistic your personality may be. Trauma is trauma. Have you noticed your fragmented mind? The inability to stay focused on one thing for more than a couple of moments? What did you have for breakfast two days ago? What did Jesus say to you back in May that was so wonderful? Have you noticed your loss of a sense of time, how easy it is to forget what day it is? Forgetting things so easily? Your search for some sort of relief? Those are some of the symptoms of trauma. Yes, I believe we are recovering. But our recovery is like a young sapling—it’s tender, vulnerable. It’s just getting started. Thank God summer is here, and we are all in one way or another trying to refill our tanks. Picnics. Barbecues. Gardens. Vacations. Movies. Dining out. But my concern is a trend I see developing in my own life, and in the world, which I think we’d better name before it knocks our legs out from under us. After so many months of “deprivation” of so many kinds, we are rushing out to get as much joy as we can. Binging, almost desperate to refill our famished souls. The problem is, a one-week vacation, no matter how wonderful, is not going to restore your humanity, refill your soul, or heal the effects of trauma. We cannot replenish our depleted reserves and heal the damage of the last year in a week or two. Reserves are a really good barometer as to how you’re actually doing, because most people have the ability to rise up and face a day. Especially when it’s summer and it feels like joy is just around the corner. We can rally. Hope returns. But clarity comes when we tap into our reserves and assess what’s really there—that’s when we discover the depth of the depletion. For example, how would you feel if you were suddenly faced with a heartbreaking situation in your life—someone dear to you dies, a major financial collapse, a fire burns down your home? Facing crisis reveals how depleted our reserves are and how long it actually takes to replenish them. Stay with me now. This isn’t a bummer of a letter. I have some real rescue for you. Stasi said to me the other day, “I feel like my reserves are beginning to come back. I feel like most days I’m doing pretty good. But the problem is, it only takes one crisis and suddenly I’m back to feeling very little in the tank.” I’m realizing that we’ve got to take a long-term view of our recovery. The trend I see unfolding continues like this: We all rush out to get as much joy and “normal life” as we can. Our Eden hearts are trying to find Eden moments with a kind of desperation. We then return to our day-to-day lives and discover that the vacation wasn’t enough; summer passed too quickly. Disappointment sets in. Because what do we do now? This is the moment of real vulnerability. Because our Eden hearts are so famished, and our recovery has only just begun, disappointment sets us up for disillusionment, and Desolation. I don’t mean discouragement, a few bad days. Desolation is a major dark force in the world today, a spiritual force, a foul spirit that is really causing people to lose heart, lose faith—even mature believers. I’ve had two close friends tell me that when they were “under it” (Desolation, that is), they felt like they weren’t even sure they believed in God anymore. So we’ve got this predator out there, looking for any crack to usher in various expressions of disillusionment and desolation, and we’ve got to be very wise in this moment. Right now we are in the rush to get joy, desperate for Eden. It doesn’t really deliver; it’s too short, and it’s not enough. We are still so depleted. Then the enemy pounces. That’s the trend I want to expose for you. Now for three things that will help. First, we’ve got to take a long-term view of our recovery. This will take the pressure off summer and the good things that are there to enjoy. We savor them, but we don’t expect a quick resurrection, a bounce-back. We set our sights on a longer recovery. Second, we guard our heart against Desolation in every form, however it is trying to get in. Now, because this is a spiritual force, it needs a spiritual answer. The answer is the Glory of God—his “Eden Glory.” Because Desolation is like a desert, and Eden is the lush beauty/love/joy/life we are craving. Eden was generated out of the Glory of God, and so we have found it VERY helpful to pray, “I bring the Eden Glory of God my Father against all Desolation, in the name of Jesus.” I’m telling you, it works. Third, when we feel those intense “Eden longings,” when we find ourselves dreaming or grasping for some sort of joy, we shepherd our hearts back to God. “I give my Eden heart to you, Father. Right here, in this, I give this Eden longing to you.” The world doesn’t process life—or pandemics—in terms of God, the war with evil, and the fight for the human heart. It’s just naively rushing out to grab joy, pretending we are nearly back to normal. It denies the trauma. But we, the friends of God, take a different view of things. Broad is the path that leads to destruction, narrow the road that leads to life, as Jesus said. Let’s choose life by taking this all much more seriously than maybe we have been. Offered in love, and because I began to experience the “trend” myself. John Download the Wild at Heart July 2021 newsletter here.

I’ve come away for a respite. Just a day. Just a little distance. I’m finding it hard to unplug. Had I stayed home, though, I would have found it near impossible. There is the stack of bills that need tending. There are the dirty clothes that need washing. There’s the pile of them on the couch that need folding and putting away. Do you see how much dust is on the table? You haven’t returned that phone call yet. Made that appointment. Talked to that friend. Called your mom. She would love a call. Yes. Good idea. I wonder what the kids are up to today. Boy, do the dogs need a walk. And that’s just the beginning. So, I’ve come away. It gives me space for my mind to still and my soul to rise. I know my soul longs to be heard yet honestly it is taking a while for it to show up; some time for me to hear it, to tune in. In the waiting, I bless it. It’s been a rough season for us all. You don’t need the list. I’m pretty sure that all our souls need a little tending, need to be saturated in mercy, saturated in the tender love of God. So, I take a deep breath and look around me at the beauty that surrounds. The wind is gently blowing the branches and the few leaves that stubbornly refuse to let go. I feel the breeze as it caresses my face and imagine it is my Father gently surrounding me with His love, His assurance, His promise that all will be well; His promise that it already is. I’ve stepped away in order to step into, to step up. I’ve come away to shift my gaze from both the ordinary and complex demands of my life and onto the deepest, truest reality that God is. The great I Am is welcoming and powerful and kind and stunningly beautiful and involved and moving and more loving and holy than my mind and heart can comprehend. But I believe it. I believe in His goodness. I know He is here. I know He cares for my life, for my soul and I know He cares for yours. So, I sink in. Today doesn’t have to be amazing. He is amazing. And I will rest in that. Maybe tears will come. Maybe. But God has already come for me, for us all and my soul can nestle into that.

Stasi Eldredge

You're Not Alone

“Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame.” (Song of Solomon 8:6) Love is not as strong as death. Jesus Christ has proven that love is STRONGER than death. His life overcame the grave. He is the victorious risen Lord. Life has triumphed. Love has won. And the enemy is furious about it. Vengeful. Hate filled. The enemy of your soul is a jealous entity. And since he cannot harm the King of Heaven, he targets those most precious to Him. You. The enemy targets you. A friend of mine is struggling with suicidal thoughts. They are cruel, taunting and seem to have a life all their own; a life of proclaiming death. He is battling them fiercely, and wisely, not battling them by himself. He has sought counsel, prayer and the linked arms of allies to fight the diabolical one who longs to destroy him. Looking at this man and the power and glory of his life, you would never dream that this is a battle he would be fighting. You would wonder, “Why in the world?”. Yet, he is not alone in fighting this kind of assault. Suicide is currently the second leading cause of death for men in the world. And certainly women are targeted as well. The devil is cruel, unrelenting, savage and rules a kingdom of death. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Devour as in shred, maul, destroy. In the wild, a lion will stalk its prey up to two weeks before attacking. It is studying its habits – looking for weaknesses, searching out vulnerabilities so it will know when best to strike. Do you ever feel that you are being hunted? Kicked when you are down? Me too. God urges us to stand firm. He promises that if we resist the devil, he will flee from us. Meaning that if we will hold our ground – holding up the truth against his lies – that we are loved, that we are chosen, that we are children of God, that we are set apart with a holy calling, that we are not alone, that we are needed and valuable and strong – he will flee. “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 Friends, submit to God. Worship Him. Exalt Him. Align yourself with Jesus. Proclaim Him your Savior and your Lord. Invoke His presence. Dive into Union with Him. Agree with the Truth of who He says you are. Pray. Seek out the more. Hold on. And know that… He is holding on to you. He crafted you intentionally. With a purpose in mind. First as His beloved – to know Him, experience Him, enjoy Him. Then…in a unique blend between the two of you, to bring His kingdom to bear on a hurting world in your sphere of influence with your specific gifting. You are here – now – because you are needed. You are powerful. You are the incarnation of the Living God. You bring the Kingdom of God wherever you go. You are loved and pursued and wanted and seen and delighted in by the One who knows you best and loves you most and wants to win all of you to Himself. To heal you. To restore you. To bless you. To live life with you. And you are hated. By one who would like to steal, kill and destroy your life because he knows who you are and what you can accomplish in Christ. If you’re feeling hunted, you’re not wrong. If you’re feeling vulnerable to negative thoughts when you are hurting or overwhelmed, you’re not alone. There is not something wrong with you. You are being targeted because there is something RIGHT with you. STAND FIRM. HOLD FAST. HANG ON. BREATHE. Invite Jesus into this very space and this very moment and receive His life and His love more deeply into your soul and then TRUST HIM. And ASK FOR HELP. When we are at our lowest, it is extremely hard to reach out and speak the truth that we are sinking; to say out loud that we need help. Sometimes just voicing our pain will relieve a part of it. We are not meant to walk through life without allies. We will not last long on this journey if we continue in a solitary fashion for too long. Yes, we need “alone” times. But we need the company of others to draw strength from when we need it and to offer it to others when we can. If you are struggling, speak out. Call a friend. Call a trusted pastor, counselor, a hotline, someone. YOU ARE WORTH FIGHTING FOR. Jesus thinks so. So do I.

Stasi Eldredge