What Souls Are Made Of

There is a wonderful line in the book Wuthering Heights that I completely love. It is when Cathy is trying to describe her feelings for Heathcliff. Certainly a most unsuitable young man in the eyes of the world, but despite this, Cathy loves him wildly. She describes it this way "Whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same". Now as much as I adore the Emily Bronte version, I equally despise the much overused expression in our culture of the desire to find one's "soul mate". This expression is overused, over expressed, and frankly just a really lousy cliche. It has probably even been uttered by Snookie from Jersey Shore as she hangs off the edge of a bar stool in a drunken stupor. Really- who hasn't heard this expression ad nauseum? It has become a cliche for anyone looking for love on Match.com


It is altogether a different thing to say that some one's soul is made of the same thing as your own. This describes a much more intimate expression of love and friendship. My best friend gave me a beautiful silver angel that hangs in my bedroom with this Emily Bronte quote inscribed on one of the wings. Of course I understood exactly what she was saying. This is, at it's core, a way of saying " You completely understand me. You get me. No words are needed. The boundaries between us are artificial." And so it is with best friends. And if you are very lucky, a handful of other people in your life.  It is always an amazing and powerful thing when you connect with someone at this level. There is no struggling to make yourself understood. It follows as naturally as dusk follows the day. We live in a world of complete connectivity. We are plugged in, turned on, twittering, face booking, blogging, emailing fools. We have instant, real time communication 24/7. Yet how many of us really feel heard or understood?


I think God gets that we need people whose souls are made of the same material as our own. He created our desire to be deeply understood. This is the way He understands each of us. He waits patiently asking us to turn our hearts toward him. As the creator of our souls, He is aware of what each is made of, and what each is longing for. The deep friendships we form with earthy friends are but an imitation of what He can offer us. As I was trying to finish up this post, I encountered an i Pad glitch that I could not get around.  So I quit and set it aside, determined to finish it at a later time when I could use my desk top.  The very next morning, I encountered these words in the devotional I use every day called "Jesus Calling".  Sarah Young has finished my thoughts up better than I ever could, so  I will quote her:  "Marvel at the wonder of My continual Presence with you.  Even the most ardent human lover cannot be with you always. Nor can another person know the intimacies of your heart, mind, and spirit.  I know everything about you- even to the number of hairs on your head.  You don't need to work at revealing yourself to Me.  Many people spend a lifetime or a small fortune searching for someone who understands them. Yet I am freely available to all who call upon My Name, who open their hearts to receive Me as Savior.  This simple act of faith is the bbeginning of a lifelong love story.  I, the Lover of your soul, understand you perfectly and love you eternally." 

Now if you don't think that God is an active presence in our lives, I just don't know what to say to you.  I was prevented from finishing, because God wanted to lend me a hand with Sarah's words which, by coincidence (NOT!) just happened to fit with the theme of this post.  Hmmmm......  Funny how that works!    Shalom!