Articles & Posts
December 2022
Dear Friends, A very merry Christmastide to you…wherever and whenever this letter finds you! I don’t need to say much this month; the holidays for most people are typically full enough. I do want to say, before anything else, that our entire team sends lots of love to and prayers for you and yours at this beautiful, difficult time of year! We love being your friends and comrades in this great mission to rescue and restore the human heart! Merry Christmas, everyone! That’s the heart of this letter. Now, if you’d like a few Christmas thoughts, read on… I've been thinking a lot about treasures. Obviously, because gifts have become such a central part of most Christmas observances. And there is biblical connection in the lavish gifts the Magi brought to Jesus. (What a beautiful way for the Father to prepare Joseph to fund their flight down to Egypt and sojourn there.) And above all, “Unto us a Son is given” (Isaiah 9:6). The gift of Christmas. But maybe I’ve been thinking about treasures because I’ve been on Amazon ordering so many presents for people. (Maybe also because I love getting presents!) Treasures. The heart loves them. We were created to treasure things. If I were to offer a lifeline to you (and to myself) in this lovely Christmas season, I would simply say this: Treasure Jesus, in a fresh way, all over again. Devote this season to saying, Jesus, you are my heart’s greatest Treasure. I treasure you again, Lord. You are my greatest gift! There are so many reasons, but currently my concern has to do with comfort. These are trying times; they have been for quite awhile now. Each and every one of our souls is crying out for comfort, solace, something to help us feel better. Sometimes the soul cries out quietly, sometimes loudly. (Honestly, I was pretty sure it was a down jacket I found on sale on Cyber Monday. I felt it would make me happy. Which let me know my soul is still looking for comfort.) The enemy knows the human soul is vulnerable right now; he’s engineered nearly all our recent distress. He then steps in and offers all sorts of “comforters”––from vacation fantasies to a little too much to drink this month. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, but where the soul looks for comfort ends up being where our hearts are either restored…or even further disappointments. Therefore, the most beautiful and defiant act a soul can make in a world of a thousand comforts and a thousand disappointments is to actively treasure Jesus above all things. Because as you do, you are rescued from the World and the snares of the evil one. Your soul “comes home” to God and all the care he has for you. This is how the psalmist proclaims it… I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:23-26 NLT If you read the prior passages, he was really upset before this moment. Finally, he turns his heart back to the One he treasures above all things. He comes home. And he is rescued. When we actively, decisively choose God as our Treasure, he becomes the strength of our hearts. It’s not that we don’t love or care about other things; it’s that we choose and keep Jesus Christ as our truest and greatest treasure above all other things. So here’s a simple spiritual practice we could all agree to share this season: Every time you encounter the topic of gifts, presents, and treasures––whether in shopping or in decorations or you are once again online trying to find someone that special something; even on Christmas morning as friends and family open gifts—in these moments, quietly say in your heart, Jesus, you are my Treasure! You are my heart’s greatest Treasure, Lord, and I treasure you above all things. I think you’ll be delighted with the results. You will have Jesus, and with him you can ride out all the highs and lows of the season and emerge in such a good place. Your heart will rest at home in Christ and be so well in him. I promise. So Merry Christmas, friends! With so much love, John (and Stasi, and our whole team!) Download the Wild at Heart December Newsletter here.
John Eldredge
Beauty. Hope. Triumph.
I’m guessing that the biggest issue facing you right now is not what present to get someone for Christmas or how many different kinds of cookies to bake. There are larger forces at play in each of our lives. From conversations I am having with friends and family detailing the sorrows in their lives, I know that each one of us or someone close to us is living in their own painful situation. We need more than a little Christmas, right this very minute. We need Jesus. We hear the cry of the Psalmist, “Come let us worship and bow down – let us kneel before the Lord our God our maker, for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture.” The invitation is to come. Not to wait to come until it’s more convenient or feels more natural or is easier to do but to come now. Come in the midst of the heartache and the need. Jesus says, “Come to me all you who are weary and I will give you rest.” His invitation is to find rest in the midst of the busy, the full, the requirements, the demands, the depths, the sorrow, and the pace. We rest in his Presence. We rest when we behold him. Sometimes it takes hardship to turn our gaze to our King, doesn’t it? Some of our most intimate times of encountering him are when we are on the floor sobbing out our desperate need. Sometimes, it is pain that is as CS Lewis says, God’s megaphone to the world. “Come to me”, he calls. When my mom had only a few weeks left to live – she wrote that her unexpected diagnosis had been the most precious gift that God had ever given her. It had driven her to his feet and there she had found him to be more than enough, higher than her desires, and more compelling than life itself. Beauty. Hope. Triumph. When my friend who many of you knew, Craig McConnell was in the hospital or at home battling leukemia, wracked with pain, he spent his time worshipping God and praying for others. I am one of the happy recipients of those life altering prayers. Prayers groaned out with purified holy longing. And that worship? Beauty. Hope. Triumph. Oh to worship God in the midst of pain, sorrow, and heartache. How do we do that? Well, Jesus compels us. When push comes to shove, nothing else and no one else will do. But we have to look at him when we are not in crisis so that we know where to look when we are in order to find and know life. School children practice fire drills and now – horribly – active shooter drills. You need the muscle memory. You practice martial arts with the hope to never have to use it in a real-life situation. You learn self-defense so that you are ready for what you pray will never come. You practice CPR. You teach your children to dial 911 in case of an emergency. You train. We train our hearts as well. How? By turning our attention to Jesus. By fixing our gaze on our King. By looking into his beautiful face. By remembering who He is and by having him reveal more of who he truly is to us! Because, who is he? He is the one who saved us and is saving us. He is the one who has healed us and is healing us. He has come for us and he is coming still and he will never stop. He is the one who, moved by love, laid down his glory and in unmatched humility took on our humanity forever to live, to die, to rise again that we might be saved. He is the one who is faithful. He is the one who will never abandon us. He is the one who is working all things together for our good. He is the one who finishes the work that he has begun in us. Song of Songs 5:16 says that “He is desirable in EVERY way.” Other versions translate the words to – “He is altogether desirable.” or “He is wholly lovely (desirable).” King James says, “he is all together lovely.” Lovely means able to excite desire or love. May this Christmas season be a time where we turn our gaze to Jesus that he might reveal more of who he truly is to each one of us, exciting our love and refueling our hope. May he capture our hearts, yet again.
Stasi Eldredge
Listening Prayer
Many years ago, someone shared this quote with me, and it stayed with me because it names something so deeply true to the human predicament: “The way through the world is more difficult to find than the way beyond it.” – Wallace Stevens Right? Whatever our age, education, or financial status, we all face questions we simply don’t know the answer to, every single day. Not theoretical questions—questions essential to our life and wellbeing, or the life and wellbeing of those we love. God rigged the world like this so that we would seek him. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands.” So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them... Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees...So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. (2 Samuel 5:18-25) David inquired. The Lord answered. Folks—the entire Bible, Genesis to Revelation, is a record of God speaking to his people. Hearing his voice is meant to be normal for every follower of Jesus. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” (John 10:27) “I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (Revelation 3:20) Our practical, daily experience is meant to be centered in a conversational intimacy with God—with our Father, with Jesus, and with the Holy Spirit. God rigged the world so that we really can’t thrive without this. However, most people wait until the house is on fire to ask God about something specific. Is this the person you want me to marry? Is it time to quit my job? What am I supposed to do with my life? That’s like going to the top of a double black diamond on your very first day of skiing because you want to learn how to ski. It’s unrealistic. You can’t start there. Hearing the voice of God—and having confidence in what you have heard—requires a quiet and relaxed posture of the soul. Far better to approach it like this... Clear a little quiet space, because the soul needs to be in a quiet place to hear from God. At least initially. Go into your room or out into the yard; sit on the back porch and give yourself twenty minutes. Don’t rush this. Sit down and take a few deep breaths. Then pray, Holy Spirit, I need your help. I really want to hear from you, God. Holy Spirit, come and help me. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear. Take away the distractions, Lord. Take away the pressure. Dial me in. Dial me in, Lord. Then ask a really simple question, something without a lot of drama to it. Jesus—should I join those guys on the camping trip this weekend? Is that what you have for me? Pause. Linger in silence and listen. If I’m not hearing anything clearly, sometimes I will “try on” Yes and No. Are you saying yes, Lord? Yes, you want me to go camping? Sometimes then I will hear a clear yes. Are you saying no, Lord? This isn’t a good idea this weekend? I’m really open to whatever you are saying. Is this a no, Jesus? Linger and listen. If you’re having a hard time recognizing God’s voice, get someone to listen with you. It’s far easier to hear for someone else than to hear for yourself. The reason is simple: you’re not tied up in all the drama. You don’t have a horse in the race; you don’t have a dog in the fight. And so this is a good way to learn. As we learn to hear God’s voice, it also helps to give it time. Pressure kills just about everything—love, joy, friendship, hearing from God. So give it some time. If I don’t hear anything right away, I’ll say something like, Keep speaking, Lord. Give me the ability to recognize what you are saying. I’m going to give this a few days (or a few weeks). Keep speaking, Father. Why am I bringing this up? Because the way through this world is far more difficult to find than the way beyond it. And yet, even so, most people don’t practice asking God into the details of their lives and questions. It’s madness. Some of you are comfortable with listening prayer, but you haven’t made it part of your daily practices. Maybe it’s time. If this is a new concept for you, my book Walking with God would be a great resource. For others, this is something new. What an exciting road ahead for you! Begin to practice what I’ve suggested above; take some time to learn how to hear God’s voice! Oh, friends, it is rescue, a joy; it is protection, and it is irreplaceable. For as Scripture says, “For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are the children of God.” (Romans 8:14) Offered as something of a loving reminder and a strong bit of counsel. Love, John P.S. Try it right now. Pause before you go on. Get quiet and simply ask Jesus, What are you saying to me today, Lord? Give it a few moments. Listen. Download the Wild at Heart Summer September 2022 Newsletter.
John Eldredge
Missing Nothing
I find it interesting to be in the last quarter of my life…at least if you divide a lifetime by 20 year increments. As I approach my 63rd birthday, I sometimes catch myself in my dreaming. I want to partner with God in so many ways bringing his beautiful Kingdom to hearts that don’t know him yet. I’d like to live in Ireland for at least three months – maybe years. Currently, I’d like to travel to about 15 other countries some of which to stay in for many months. And…I want to be home and go to every single dance performance, soccer game, school show and whatever else my grandchildren are involved in. I want to have tea parties and pool days and play dates. I want to host worship gatherings in my home. I want my garden to finally flourish with constant care. I want to pour into the people God has placed in my life particularly my children and grandchildren but so many others too. Well then, I can’t be traveling as much as I’d like. There are some experiences I want to have, places I want to go, people I’d like to meet in person that I simply won’t be able to. Choices need to be made. They always do. In what I see as shrinking parameters around my life, around my time, I know a God for whom nothing is impossible and whose dreams for me extend way beyond my limited imagination. I can’t wait to see what he has in mind in this quarter! I also know that this life – glorious and messy and breathtaking and holy and heartbreaking and honing – is not the end of the Story. Real life, true life, glorious LIFE will begin once I cross through the doorway that we all will one day walk through though we have no idea when. And then….the places I will go, the adventures I will have, the people I will share with and know in ways I only long for now, the God I will have intimate face to face communion with ALWAYS, well…let’s just say, it’s enough to make limitations on this life pale. And everything else that’s difficult in this life…pale. It's coming. Oh the joys I will experience, the garden I will create, the experiences I will get to share, the depths to which I will know and be known without shame, the exquisite bliss that awaits of being in the Presence of our glorious King worshipping with all in unbridled, immeasurable, endless awe. I can’t wait. But I will wait. And press in with every day I have left to draw closer to our God’s magnificent heart. Yes, as I get older, there are increasing limits to my time and my capabilities, but friends, I will miss nothing. I don’t know what you’d like to do. It might be to move without pain. It might be to hold the one who left too soon once again in your arms. It might be to have someone to hold at all. Maybe it’s to travel. Maybe it’s to not hurt so much, to struggle so much or to not be so lonely. Maybe it’s to share the Gospel with as many people as you possibly can. Perhaps it’s to experience God in ways you’ve only heard of. Whatever it is, dear ones, it’s coming. In the end that really is not an end at all but a grand beginning, you will miss nothing.
Stasi Eldredge
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
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
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
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.
John Eldredge
Living
Happy summer! Last time I wrote—in April—I put before you the idea of developing a “prescription” for your recovery after the year we’ve all been through. My premise was that we have all passed through global trauma, and it has affected us whether we know it or not. We need to look at the months ahead as “rehab” for our souls. You are in rehab. I suggested you have some conversation with Jesus about his “prescription” for your recovery—especially as it pertains to summer. Hope all that is going well. That you have something of a plan, or at least some guidelines, and that for the most part you are sticking to them day by day. This month I’d like to offer more for your restoration and wholeheartedness. There is in each of us a capacity I call “Living.” What I mean by this is the deep intentionality we have as human beings to aspire towards things that bring us life, plan towards those things, take hold of them, enjoy them, and start the cycle over as we aspire towards new things. I’ve named this capacity as a whole the drive for Living. This capacity, our human functioning in the realm of Living, has taken a real beating over the past year. The chronic disappointments, all those losses great and small, and the inability to make plans for the future throttled the capacity of Living in us, just as chronic rejection hampers your ability for relationship, or how chronic failure harms your capacity for hope. Living needs some care in us. Now, if you read Get Your Life Back or listened to the podcasts we did around it, or really if you just read this newsletter through 2019-2020, you recall the idea that there are “natural graces” we can take hold of to heal our souls. Things like beauty, detachment, pausing, and dialing back your screen time. (A good bit of my prescription for this summer involves those things.) But what I want to do now is suggest a “supernatural grace” that will do great good for healing your capacity for Living. First, a reminder: Christians are meant to be amphibians; that is to say, we are made to live and move comfortably between two worlds—this natural world, and the supernatural world of the Kingdom of God. Here in the natural world we enjoy the warmth of the sun, the coolness of water, the beauty of music, things like that. But there is a realm all around us filled with the presence of God and supernatural graces we need to learn to tap into. (Prayer, for example, is tapping into the resources of God and his Kingdom.) Living needs some care in us, and there is a supernatural grace that is perfect for bringing that care and restoration—the River of Life. Stay with me, because this is going to become precious to you. In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel was taken into the Kingdom of God and given a number of visions. He saw the temple of God in Jerusalem, and out of the temple was flowing the River of Life. As it flowed forth across the countryside, it became so deep and wide it wasn’t possible to swim across it. A fabulous picture of abundance! But I love how the passage ends: “Where the river flows, everything will live” (Ezekiel 47:9). In the New Testament, John is given a revelation of the coming Kingdom, and he sees the River of Life flowing right down the middle of the City of God. However, the River is NOT just for “later.” In the Gospel of John, Jesus states very clearly that the River is meant to flow out of our own being: “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within him” (John 7:37-38). Now let me pull this together. We have a capacity in us for Living; it’s a very precious capacity, and it has taken a beating. We are amphibians, so our means of restoration are not just in the natural realm; some of the most powerful graces come from the Kingdom of God. The River of Life is one of those supernatural graces. What I want to suggest is that you pray for the River of Life to flow in and through your capacity for Living—to heal and restore Living in you. Like this: Jesus, I consecrate to you my capacity for Living. My ability to aspire for good things, plan for them, take hold of them, enjoy them, and keep on aspiring. I consecrate all Living in me to you, Lord, and I ask that the River of Life would flow in me, in the capacity of Living. Let the River flow in and through and all around the capacity of Living in me, restoring, renewing, and healing all Living in me. In your mighty name I pray. I have found this practice to be absolutely effective and wonderful, so much so that I pray it nearly every day now. Offered in love, John Download the Wild at Heart June 2021 newsletter here.
John Eldredge
Steadfast
A couple of years ago, my husband was very sick for way too long. He gets sick about once every 10 years – maybe. The man is healthy. He’s committed to caring for his health, and don’t even ask me about all the vitamins he takes. The smoothies he drinks? Wow. Taste is secondary to him. If it’s good for him, he likes it. He’s so in tune with his body that he can feel it respond to good things and, yes, to bad. Once I made pesto and it turned out that the walnuts I had used were well past their expiration date. He took one bite, spit it out of his mouth and urgently told our sons, “Don’t eat it! It’ll make you sick!” It’s a family legend now and, no, I couldn’t taste anything wrong with it. I take vitamins too. The ones he sets out for me every morning in a little ramekin. I am spoiled, I know. But I still complain about taking them because, well, because I hate taking them. Opposites attract. I get sick about once a year. Par for the course, but when John was sick, it threw me. It’s one thing to be ill yourself. It’s quite another when someone you love is suffering. You know. When he finally turned a corner, I thanked God, yet felt suspicious about it and watched him like a hawk. From a pleasant distance. In my life I’ve watched friends walk alongside their beloveds through serious illnesses. Some they didn’t recover from. I’ve had friends walk through the unexpected death of their children. I’ve walked alongside as friends grieve the pain their children are living in from the bad choices they have made and continue to make. I’ve witnessed profound loss and suffering, and some I have endured myself. What I am struck by this morning is the faith that I have witnessed. My dear girlfriend who sang a song of steadfast praise at her young son’s memorial service. My other friend who called to tell me that his beloved had passed by saying, “She’s completely healed now.” Another who, with tears streaming down her face, thanked God for all the years she had enjoyed with her husband before he passed over. And I am aware of my frailty. I was thrown by my husband being temporarily ill, and I am surrounded by kings and queens in the Kingdom whose steadfast faith has upheld them through unimaginable travail. It has upheld you. I don’t know your stories, but I know it has. God is faithful. That’s where I land today as I am once again encouraged by the Company of Saints. God is true. God is our Hope. I am reminded that God is our anchor. He will uphold us through suffering of all kinds, all durations and all depths. He will reveal himself to us in new ways in it and through it. He is our Help, our Strong Tower. He is always true, always worthy of praise. He is Love, and he is not going anywhere. Look to him today, my friends. Entrust to him all that you care for and all that you are carrying. His shoulders are broad, his character is strong, his heart is steadfast. Steadfast indeed.
Stasi Eldredge
What is your recovery plan?
If you’ve ever had to care for your body through some sort of recovery, you know how beautiful and vulnerable these vessels are. I’ve been through physical therapy a number of times over the years as various injuries have required, and every time I am struck by the created order God wove into the world––how we must pay loving attention to our care and recovery and not just ignore the signs when care is needed. When I accept the recovery process, and follow it through, I’m always grateful. When I ignore it, or drop it prematurely, I always regret it and have to start over. The same is true of your heart and soul. There are periods when they need intentional care, too. We are now emerging, in some places sooner than others, from a year of global trauma. Your soul needs some tending to. And to be clear, it has been trauma. To be robbed of your normal routine for months upon months; to be kept in a state of uncertainty; to face serial disappointments large and small; to be bombarded by bad news; to face death; and never clear on when the finish line would appear. May I point out that this is exactly what is done to prisoners under interrogation, when their captors want to break them down?! The past twelve months have been rough on our humanity. Now is the time to begin planning for your recovery. Because you are now, or soon will be entering, the phase of rehab and recovery. Oh yes––there will be joy in simply going out to dinner, watching your kids play sports, seeing your family face-to-face, going to church, ball games, concerts. It will be lovely. May all those things come to you by summer! But simply getting a hot dog at a baseball game, or going to a movie is not sufficient to address the trauma you have been through. So what I’m recommending is that you begin to map out for yourself a “rehab and recovery plan” for your soul. For example, most of us have done a pretty good job of “rallying” over the past year, and congratulations for it. Well done, everyone! Good job! But rallying for months and months required tapping deeply into our reserves, and they are tapped out. Don’t think so? Feel like that’s just for others? How would you feel if I told you another pandemic is coming next month, and we are starting all over? I bet the very thought of it takes you to the brink. There’s not a lot left in the reserve tank. Now, in order to replenish your reserves, you need a period of time where more is coming “in” than is going “out.” That’s the simple math. You can’t replenish your reserves if you are still spending 100% or more in your weekly output. This is why, for most people, vacations are so wonderful. We downshift; we go get some joy; we let go of most demands in order to drink in beauty, fun, rest. We find ourselves doing better, feeling better, because we are receiving more than we are burning. I hope you’ll give some careful thought as to how you’ll be spending your vacation time this year. It’s an important part of your recovery plan. But it’s only a part, dear friends. One or two weeks off is not going to address the harm your soul has been through over the course of an entire, unprecedented year of global tension, lockdown, and loss. So you need a recovery plan. And I think it will be a wonderful exercise for you to get some time with Jesus over the course of the next few weeks to allow him to talk to you about your plan. For example: one of the genuine disappointments Stasi and I suffered last year was losing an overseas trip we had been looking forward to for five months. Naturally, as it began to look like travel might be an option for the second half of 2021, we thought we should reboot that trip. But as I prayed and thought and listened to Jesus, I came to the realization that international travel, however much we love it, is not what our souls need this summer. We need simple rest; working in the garden; sunsets on the deck; picnics and swimming––things that are close at hand and don’t require major effort to get to the joyful parts. More coming in than is going out. My sons call it the “Cost to Joy Ratio.” Every outing, adventure, party, vacation, and undertaking has a cost to it. The question you want to ask is this: Does the joy that the event brings you outweigh the cost it requires to make it happen? Is more coming in than is going out? (If you need a vacation to recover from your vacation, you’ve got the cost/joy ratio all wrong!) This is important to consider anytime, but essential to think through in a year like this when we are all recovering from global trauma and need to take our recovery plan seriously. So here’s what you do: Give yourself several opportunities in the next few weeks to sit down with a pad of paper and just noodle on the idea of a recovery plan. You know yourself––what would you recommend if you were counseling you over a three month recovery plan for your soul? How would you arrange for periods where more is coming in than is going out? As you do this, invite Jesus in; let him speak. Ask him what he recommends. What he says often surprises me (like “don’t travel yet”), but always makes sense in the end. As your plan takes shape, write it down and post it somewhere you’ll see it often. If you are living with your spouse and/or family, let them in on the plan. Talk about it openly, so you can help one another in good decision making. More coming in than is going out; more joy from the effort than the cost of making it happen. Offered in love, John Download the Wild at Heart April 2021 Newsletter here.
John Eldredge