Embracing Desire

I came across the quote “Be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.” It spoke deeply to my heart and I think it may speak deeply to your heart about allowing desire.

Many trauma survivors believe desire is a four-letter word with more letters. It’s not allowed. It’s not something you can have. You deserve what you get. You are not worthy of being cared for. You are broken beyond repair. You’re hopeless and damaged goods. In fact, you may not even be sure what sets your soul on fire. Heck, half the time you aren’t even sure you can feel a darn thing. So to hear, “You’re allowed to feel. You’re allowed to dream. You’re allowed to find what sets your soul on fire. You are allowed to have desires,” may feel a whole lot like a pipe dream. It honestly may feel downright dangerous.

I want to give you permission and a path to get there. I get it. I get the deep brokenness you feel and I also know you can be whole – maybe in ways you never have been before. I know there are things that will set your soul on fire. Things you should be fearless in pursuing - things God lined up from before you were even born. Healthy things – not destructive things. Not things that numb the pain and then fail you, but things that make your soul sing. 

You have desires.

Moreover, I want to help you get there. It’s not enough to have permission from anyone else. You need it from yourself. You need it from God. You need healing in the broken places. You need healing in the deep parts of your soul so you can find the things that set it ablaze. 

Your light is still in there, dear one. 

Even if you haven’t seen it in a long time. Even if you’re not sure you’ve ever seen it. As you heal, you can allow healthy desire and pursue it. And it will feed your soul.

Action Step

The first step is to get comfortable with the concept of desire. Open your heart to the possibility there are desires there you may have learned to quiet or ignore. Try journaling about desire. Just write the word and look up the definition, then write out the definition. If you can, do this with pen and paper. It matters. 

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (NIV)