Yearning and longing for something, for anything these days, is not popular. Thanks to instant gratification in many aspects of our lives (communication, fast food, entertainment) we have come to expect to get what we want, right when we want it. We have lost touch with the tremendous value of yearning.
But none of us gets everything we want exactly when we want it. Which gives us an opportunity to yearn. While it's easy to long for material things and experiences, yearning about our spiritual life is my subject here.
Yearning to connect to the spiritual energy of the holy days throughout the year, yearning to feel connected in prayer, yearning to be of service to our Creator in this world... those are examples of spiritual yearnings. Those are examples of the yearnings of great significance.
I am paraphrasing from lessons Rebbe Nachman teaches about yearning. This is my short summary - Spiritual yearning connects heaven to earth. When we are longing for a divine connection while living on this earth, WE are the connection. WE are the vital component for the flow of spiritual energy. Yes, it may not be a new idea, but it's an idea we don't hear about often.
Our human longing for spiritual connection to holiness is more significant than its accomplishment in some ways. This is truly a new idea. How can yearning for holiness be more significant than doing mitzvot and the myriad positive, important tasks we accomplish to make our living, our home and our family?
Yearning has a physical aspect and a spiritual aspect at the same time. The reality of yearning is still in the spiritual world. What is longed-for has not yet manifest here on earth. It is powerfully significant because it has not yet come into physical being. It is entirely in potential.
I am absorbing this idea about yearning because I yearn a lot. I don't talk about yearning with other people, but here I am blogging about it. It is new and different to consider my longing as genuine accomplishment in itself.
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