The Zelie Group has begun a new year, with an updated look! Previously, once a month, we would post an article titled, “Just Enough Information” (or, JEI), in order to allow our readers to get to know snippets of who we are as individual bloggers. Most of the time, these posts were not religious in nature, but religion didn’t entirely go out the window during the posts!
To start off the New Year, The Zelie Group is shaking things up. Each month of 2017 has a theme, about which we are asked to write anywhere between one and three pieces for this particular prompt. We also enjoyed our photo-challenge enough that we have also added a photo challenge to correspond with the monthly theme, and encourage our writers and followers to join in by using the hashtags underneath!
As I spent time reflecting on this month’s prompt, and how this makes a play in my faith life, I kept coming back to the same thought. God speaks to us in the stillness of our hearts – in the quiet of our souls. God asks us to put Him first, to be still and “just be,” with Him. He asks us to come to Him with any of our struggles, with our anxieties, worries, fears. He asks us to celebrate our good times with Him.
And, sometimes? God is quiet.
We search for Him over and over again, we ask Him for help, and we beg His will be done to us.
And, He can be silent.
As still as a rock.
Stiller than a rock, perhaps.
And, we can feel alone.
If you’ve ever felt alone and separated from God, I have it on pretty good authority you are not alone. There are some pretty heavy holy-weights who have also felt as though God has left them to their own devices – one of them, St. John of the Cross, even wrote a book entitled Dark Night of the Soul.
Mother Teresa of Calcutta? She didn’t feel God’s loving presence in her life for. decades! Yet, that woman was a heavy-weight during her life, and still became a saint.
But, how can that be? How can someone, who doesn’t feel God’s presence, become a saint?!
Quite simply, because they kept their faith and trust in Him. They continued to live a life according to love, trust, and goodness.
I have heard the theory that God’s silence toward us is a way in which He is continuing to form our spirit. It is an attempt at continuing to draw us closer to God – in essence, it’s a spiritual exercise.
I like that theory, and it helps me have faith and hope the quietness I seem to receive is preparing my soul for something bigger … something greater.
Because ultimately, I want to be on the pathway to sainthood. And, I should want similar struggles and challenges the men and women we know in heaven faced while they walked the earth – because it is (hopefully) a sign I am on the right, albeit sometimes lonely and difficult, path.
So, what should we do when we encounter this quietness? Instead of abandoning God, as I think we are quick to want to do, the saints encourage us in their writings to, “Frequent the Sacraments.”
Go to Confession, go to daily Mass whenever possible, and most of all, receive the Eucharist in a state of Grace. Spend time in quiet prayer, finding a way to do so, even if it’s in the bathroom with the door locked and children on the other side. Head to Adoration, and sit in His Divine Presence.
Because, although we may feel God is quiet and not working in our lives, He has not abandoned us!
Therefore, we mustn’t abandon Him.
Do you have thoughts on “Quiet,” as it pertains to your faith? Add it in the comments, or link up below in your own blog post!
http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=275497
This is so beautiful!
Thank you!
In thinking about “quiet,” I’ve come to the conclusion that God isn’t the one with the quiet problem. It’s my lack of quiet that causes problems.
Thanks for sharing!
Yes! Our inability to create quiet also gives Him difficulty in getting through to us, too!
I love how we can always find a saint who dealt with the same problems we are dealing with! Mother Teresa’s Come Be My Light book was such an inspiration to me after I lost my first baby and God felt so distant. Beautiful reflection, Anni!
Thank you so very much! (Sorry – for whatever reason, I am not getting notifications that I have comments…) I, too, have enjoyed “Come Be My Light” – even if she didn’t want it published, I’m glad the person that decided to go against her wishes ultimately did so!
Listen to the words to “Be Not Afraid”- John Michael Talbott has a very good recording that makes you just want to sit and believe- in peace.
I will do so. Thanks!
Thanks for all the encouragement from the words and lives of the Saints. I love the theme that it doesn’t matter what we FEEL, God is there!
Yes! I had a chaplain point out to me recently that the devil will try to block us from feeling, in an effort to get us to abandon God – because we feel as though God abandons us. But, it’s simply not true!
Mother Teresa believed that her separation from God was a blessing that helped her understand the people she served, since they felt alone and separated from God. Until I began to read about Mother Teresa (and other saints) I didn’t realize how human they were.
I used to think saints were perfect. But, thankfully, I have started to realize they were not – they just frequented the Sacraments at a much more frequent rate! And, Mother Teresa’s belief that her separation helped her understand the people she served is a beautiful perspective. Thanks for commenting!
This is where I am right now, honestly. It’s been hard, and I don’t even feel like praying. But I”m pushing through because I know I need it.
Haha! I have a post scheduled later this month about the need to push through, because I am sure many people mistake the quietness for abandonment! I just don’t think we have a tendency to talk about it all that often. Keep up the good work, and pray through the quiet – you are in good company, in my opinion. 😉