Much Can Be Gained, from the Little Prince...

The Little Prince, is such a beautiful piece of literature. I read it through its' entirety last night, at the recommendation from someone very dear to me. I started to read, and I couldn't stop until I reached the end. The words tugged on my heart and reached out to me as if I myself, was part of the story and yes, the tears came with that of a "good book, a great film, a birthday card, I weep."

“And when your sorrow is comforted (time soothes all sorrows), you will be content that you have known me."

"It is such a secret place, the land of tears."

"And now here is my secret, a very simple secret:

It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."

"But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you."

“You are beautiful, but you are empty,” he went on. “One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you– the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or even sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose. It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”

Soneto XVII, by Pablo Neruda...

No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio
o flecha de claveles que propagan el fuego:
te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.

Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva
dentro de sí, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,
y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo
el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra.

Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.

This sonnet and my reading of The Little Prince, took me back to something my dear friend, Niki, had written long ago and left for me... to remind me to keep hoping:

"Don't hate it. God doesn't place desires in your heart for no reason. If you love something, it's because God already knows who your soulmate is and He created your hearts to match. Don't deny His power by not having the faith that He has someone for you that will not be someone you settle for or have to pursue on your own. When this man (and amazing he will be) finds you, he is going to be so madly drawn to you that his heart will pause when you enter a room and smiles will light up his face when you cross his mind and his breath will catch the moment he realizes he sees love in your eyes. Don't sell God short, love. It's okay to focus on other things and try not to let it overtake you, but it's not okay to say "I'm just not getting married." He has more in mind for you than you can ever imagine; a relationship that is a ministry and an encouragement to everyone who sees it. Don't give up."

So with all of these things, what it all comes down to tonight, is that I am not letting the enemy rob me of my hope, my zeal, my passion, my dream. I used to just claim the easy way out; I used to tell my heart to settle that loneliness was my only answer...but God has placed many people in my life, these days, to reach out and say that isn't His way at all. Choosing misery over life, is nothing but a tragedy. I have been there. I have deadened my desires and placed myself and my heart in the shadows, but that is no way to live. Instead, I am going to retain and regain my hope, that was once lost. I am going to move forward, in light of the truth, that I am an exception.

I Believe in You Lyrics, Bethany Dillon...

When there's nothing to believe in, I belive in you
Forget the past and let my hand in yours be the proof
Though the strong could be my company, you're the one I choose
So remember, I believe in you

I know it feels like every eye is watching you
Waiting for you to fall, expecting you to lose
But I see victory, so all you have to do
Is remember, I believe in you

I believe, even when I see you crying
I believe, let me dream for you
When nothing comes from trying
Remember, I believe in you

There will come a day when love will lift you out of here
There will come a day when love will bring the truth
There will come a day when love will free you from your fear
And you'll remember, I believe in you

I believe, even when I see you crying
I believe, let me dream for you
When nothing comes from trying
Remember, I believe in you

So I believe. I will keep believing, because You give me something to believe in. I believe in you. I believe that love is meant to be felt, and that everyone deserves to feel it.

Pablo Neruda, puts it quite beautifully, so much so that it deserves to be mentioned in this blog more than once, "I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where. I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride; so I love you because I know no other way."

"But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you." I am finally believing that this could quite possibly be said of me. It's been a long time coming and the journey isn't finished here, I will keep pressing onward...toward what is ahead of me.