Spiritual deserts

Our spiritual walk of faith, just like any great journey, can be fraught with challenges. One that can be particularly disheartening is when we encounter dry spells, commonly called “the dark night of the soul.” Not fun.

Prayer times, once filled with meaning, feel like being lost in a moonless forest. Gravy-rich Scripture reading becomes dry like chewing on sandpaper. Praise music or hymns that caused your soul to rejoice only plummets your heart into despair. Your lush walk of faith feels like wandering in the Mojave without direction, purpose or even a drink of water! Fr. Thomas Keating made the analogy: “It’s as if God has left you without even saying ‘goodbye.’”

If this is your scenario, take heart. May I even go so far as saying, rejoice! Instead of being discouraged, be joyful! You are being taken off spiritual baby food and plunged into a deeper level of spirituality. Congratulations, you are now walking by faith. What a gift to God, that he can trust you in such a manner!

The only problem is that it just doesn’t feel very good and it’s easy to lose your way.

It may help to realize that all the great saints have walked this lonely path—including Jesus when he cried out on the cross: “Father, why have you abandoned me?” Keep tucked away in your heart that following the Son of God’s despair was the resurrection. The result of his being abandoned changed mankind by drawing us into a deeper relationship with God. Take heart, that’s exactly what’s happening to you!

So what do you do when a spiritual desert befalls you? Hunker in. Even if your quest is dry as toast, claw your way through Scripture, get down on your knees and cry out what feels like desperate, puny prayers. The one who gave you eyes sees your struggle and will tuck you in closer than you ever thought possible. Write: “God loves me” on the palm of your hand because that’s exactly where God has your name written, on the palm of his!

Lastly, when all else fails, trust. Trust that God’s love is bigger than your feelings and stronger than your sensations. He’s testing you in fire for your own good. What will come out of such a trial is a deeper and more profound understanding that isn’t dependent on spiritual highs. As a necessary part of the spiritual odyssey you will arrive as an adult believer who can truly impact the world with God’s grace. Your faith will be rock-solid, your understanding will be on a cellular level, and a new knowledge of God will burst forth from your illumined soul. You will sense God’s Spirit transcend through you as you share faith. Then, you will see, in an abundant and fruitful way, why your faith truly matters with a realization that it’s no longer only about you or your feelings.