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{"id":23697,"date":"2010-12-10T10:34:31","date_gmt":"2010-12-10T14:34:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.firstthings.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/?p=23697"},"modified":"2017-03-09T22:00:54","modified_gmt":"2017-03-09T22:00:54","slug":"for-him-make-a-straight-path-to-your-heart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/theanchoress\/2010\/12\/10\/for-him-make-a-straight-path-to-your-heart\/","title":{"rendered":"For Him: Make a Straight Path to Your Heart"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts.<\/em>
\n\u2013St. Charles Borromeo<\/p>\n

All <\/strong>obstacles;<\/strong> what can they be?<\/p>\n

Ask the question and people\u2019s first answers will always be: \u201cmy sinfulness, my stubbornness\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

But the obstacles we place before His Majesty don\u2019t always have to be what we would consider our negatives. Other obstacles to his presence might be the pride we take in our housekeeping, or our work; our beloved \u201cprinciples\u201d and our studied \u201copinions.\u201d Other obstacles might even be our families, or our love of country \u2013 any love that is so passionate that it supersedes all else, and perhaps comes before Him.<\/p>\n

Obstacles are the things we cling to so much, out of love, that they take up the room He requires to bring the fullness of His divine, pure and unfathomable Presence into us.<\/p>\n

We must<\/em> love.<\/strong> Love is a good thing. But there must be just enough detachment in our love as to let God move within us, freely and unimpeded, forward<\/em> to our very core. He will use every inch of our hearts, every inch of our minds, every inch of our souls; His Majesty will expand them and enlarge them as He wills\u2013and always to our benefit\u2013if only we will first give Him some room<\/em>.<\/p>\n

And then, when our beings are enlarged, and permeated with Him, our love for all things, including those which we hold most dear, will be all the sweeter to us\u2013and that much deeper\u2013but never in a manner the least idolatrous.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Make straight the path\u2013clear away the brush of your heart\u2013remove every obstacle, and he will come to dwell in you!<\/p>\n

If your Advent is a little dry<\/strong>, this year, Jennifer Fulwiler has been there<\/a>, and writes well, about it.<\/p>\n

Lisa Graas<\/strong> has more thoughts on the rollercoaster of faith<\/a><\/p>\n

Marcia Morrissey<\/strong>, the lovely wife of Hot Air\u2019s Ed Morrissey<\/a>, has some practical and typically wise advice for the dryness, for the Christmas-induced doldrums: \u201cLess Later, More Now!<\/a><\/p>\n

Attend to Him; He will Attend to you! <\/strong> Then within you, you will carry All the Colors of Paradise<\/a>. And you will understand.<\/p>\n

And now, it\u2019s<\/strong> back to paying work<\/a> for me. Check back this afternoon!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"