Thomas Merton’s The Sign of Jonas continues to astound, impress, and humble. I read his words, and there seems to be so much our souls have in common – the intense desire to live out our lives in solitude, yet the complete incapability of attaining this because of our selfish wants, needs and desires constantly getting in the way. The eternally common and human battle between body and soul. To overcome is what makes a sinner a saint, I guess.

On April 25, 1948 he wrote this:

The more selfish you are, the more involved life becomes. As usual I have to check my appetite for books and work and keep close to God in prayer. Which is what He wants.

It could easily be something my soul desires from me, except rather than books it’s all kinds of words, thoughts, and actions that involve worldly desires and self-gratification. God expects nothing from us except for us to love Him as He loves us. And that means checking your attitude and selfish wants and desires at the door, if only for a few minutes a day. Why do I find that so hard?

Today I’ll be flying to Atlanta and escape the searing heat. You can really tell out here the difference between, say 98-99 degrees and a 106-107. Energy flags, the birds get less active, you can almost feel the potted plants sighing under the solar onslaught. But that’s what you have to expect when you live in the desert.

Makes me wonder how the Desert Fathers dit it. Perhaps their fervor for serving God and their love of Christ provided their own form of spiritual air conditioning.

—

Pool temp: 87 degrees