From “The Language of the Soul: Meeting God in the Longings of Our Hearts” by Jeff Crosby
Not long ago I crossed the threshold of my sixtieth year, an age that I once looked upon as being very old – but no longer do. And yet that marker has caused me to think more deeply about the years I have remaining on the planet and what I would like to see become ever truer of my life as the years increase. Principally, I long to be able to say and to know that I have been present in this world – present to my family, my friendships, my work; present to the needs of the community I am a part of – and that such presence was borne out of my true self. I long to be able to say and to know that I have been present to God’s voice in my soul, and have responded more often than not to God’s prompting. I long to have been present with the gifts I have been given by a loving God, which have been nurtured by many people around me even in the midst of the sufferings and stumbling that are a part of what it means to be human.