October 19 – Tasting the Infinite
Sometimes when we are young, we are given a taste of the infinite, and we yearn for it the rest of our lives. If we had not already tasted it, we would not know what is being talked about. James Finley
Gregg’s Reflection
My choice years ago to seek only the “path with a heart” eventually reshaped everything. That commitment slowly drew me away from a successful business career into consulting with churches, coaching, and ultimately into the solitude of our mountain home in Colorado. Along the way, God gave me glimpses—tastes of the infinite—that confirmed I was not wandering aimlessly, but being led deeper into His love.
I think of evenings sitting at our fire pit, gazing at the Continental Divide as the light shifted across the peaks. For just a moment, eternity seemed to press close, and my heart burned with gratitude and awe. Like Julian or Finley describe, the experience did not last, but the longing it awakened stayed with me, shaping my decisions and grounding me in God’s presence.
The mystics remind us that these brief tastes are not about clinging to an experience, but about being transformed by the hunger they leave behind. A taste of the infinite is like a spark—it lights a fire that continues to guide, purify, and deepen us. The flame itself becomes prayer, a yearning that leads us step by step toward the fullness of God.
Scripture
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
Psalm 34:8
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6
Ancient Quotes
It is His will that we should know Him, and His pleasure that we should rest in Him. Nothing less will satisfy us. We shall never cease wanting and longing until we possess Him in fullness and joy.
Julian of Norwich, Revelations of Divine Love
Modern Quotes
Sometimes when we are quite young, we are given a taste of the infinite, and we yearn for it for the rest of our lives. I know what I know and I know that I know it. Our longing for God is born of a taste we have already been given. If we had not already tasted it, we would not know what is being talked about.
James Finley, Living School teaching
Give us always this bread of heaven. Slake us always with this water that we might not thirst forever! This is the life that pours down into us from the Risen Christ.
Thomas Merton, A Year with Thomas Merton, p. 145
Journaling Prompts
- Recall a time when you experienced a fleeting “taste of the infinite.” How did it mark you?
- What longings or desires remain with you from that experience?
- How has your longing guided your choices, large or small?
- In what ways can you nurture the flame of yearning in your daily life?
Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 42 Reflection: Soul Yearnings/Thirst for God