Janet's Blog

Are you feeling spiritually lost?

I have been noticing as I drive around that there are an awful lot of deflated Christmas inflatables in the yards in my community.  I am not sure if it is due to wind or maybe a faulty system, but it got me to thinking . . .

What if our faith were like those santas and reindeer?

Perhaps for a moment in time, we get puffed up in our faith.  Filled with inspiration from listening to a dynamic speaker, or just motivated by a new found passion, we stand tall and bright, bursting forth as a shining symbol to our community that God is great, and then, out of the blue, the air goes out of us.

We never want to look like those deflated santas and reindeer, but the truth is, sometimes, it happens to the best of us.  Even saints, such as St. John of the Cross, speak of the "dark night of the soul."  We have seen it addressed most recently in the life of St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa.)

When someone goes through such a time, where doubts creep in or they just feel lost in faith, our saints tell us to look closely at where that might come from.  If something moves us away from God, we can know for sure that it does not come from God.  While God is with us in every dark trial we go through, he does not send us there. 

Are you having a hard time with your faith today?  Have you had a general feeling of malaise when it comes to your spiritual life?

This is the time to be very intentional, turning ever more closely to God.  Go to Adoration. Pray with the scriptures.  Sit and rest in the presence of God.

Of course, I am speaking specifically of a spiritual lull.  If there is something greater going on such as depression or another physical or mental condition, then that needs to be addressed by a professional in the medical field.

But if you are having a brief experience of having the wind go out of your spiritual life, remember that God is there with you in it and he will help draw out for you a richness that can only be gained through this sense of loss.

Remember, God never gives up on us!

God bless,
Janet