I desire you more than Oxygen

I once heard this story about Socrates and young man.

Socrates was laying on the beach wandering through the mysteries of the universe in an almost meditative daze when he is interrupted by a young man who has sought him out to teach him logic, philosophy, and knowledge of the universe (and rightful so as Socrates is still considered to be one of the greatest human minds today) Socrates doesn't say a word he just simply gets up and walks in to the water.
As he walks deeper the young man thinks to him self that Socrates must be trying to teach him something so he sprints to the water and catches up to his new teacher. When the young pupil catches up his teacher Socrates jumps on him and starts to submerge him in the water holding him under and the pupil starts to flail about and keeps struggling until his teacher lets him up and the teacher walks back to the shore. When the young man regains his breath he walks to the beach quite angry and quite confused.

He approaches Socrates and before the man can speak Socrates says " What is the one thing you wanted while I held you under the water?"

The young man replied " Well sir, to breathe like anyone else would."

Socrates looked at him and said ,"When you desire knowledge like you desired that breath of air then you will receive it." saying this he got up and walked away.

This story reminds me of stories I have heard from several Christians through out my life.
I have heard so many people say, "I just desire to feel God's presents, but I just don't feel like God is around. " or "I wonder where God went in my life?"

The question isn't where did God go but where did your desire for him go.

I spend a lot of time thinking about God, talking about God, sitting in on meetings about God, debating with other people about God, but you know what?

Sometimes even when I immerse myself with all things God I still feel like he is no where to be found, i also find that I've been so busy talking about, reading about, debating about, just the trivial things about Him that I loose the desire to seek his face.

There is something that breaks my heart, I'm too busy with God to desire God. It is a weird concept I know, but I find it happening all the time. I have spent so much time trying to fight out every detail that I forgot to do one thing enjoy Him.

The first commandment is do not have any gods before me, you want to know what my gods were?
1.Theologies
2. Dogmas
3.Doctrines

In all the time I took learning about all these things I missed out on key parts of God like prayer, fellowship, community, and just flat out enjoying God.

I wanted knowledge of God more than I wanted relationship with God, and it slowly made me a believer in God more than a lover of God which scares me because like it says,"..[even the daemons believe and tremble]."

We all have times that our heads are submersed and we flail around to try to catch our breath. Why is that when those times happen we don't run to our churches doctrine or a systematic theology? Because when our heads submerged and we have no one to turn to those things are meaningless, those things won't be the ones to save us.

My question for you is that when you are held under the waters of this life and you struggle to get topside again what is the one thing you want?

To get up and out of the water? Or is it the one thing that can help you get through that time, a relationship with God?