Comments on: Spiritual Dry Spells http://christianity101blog.com/2009/05/spiritual-dry-spells/ Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:28:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymous http://christianity101blog.com/2009/05/spiritual-dry-spells/#comment-24 Anonymous Tue, 26 May 2009 12:11:18 +0000 http://christianity101blog.com/?p=55#comment-24 Yes, Kelly, I go through dry spells, too. I even think I may be in one now. I am heading to bed later than I like these days, which makes it harder to get up the 1 hour I like to get up before the kids to pray and get ready. Then, when I roll out of bed I find myself having abbreviated, sometimes interrupted, prayer times. But, I have gotten some wisdom from priests over the past few years and even recently that can lead us to a closer, more constant relationship with Christ.<br /><br />1.) One priest, twice, gave me the recommendation to go to bed earlier. He said that sleep really is important, and that getting into bed earlier makes it easier to pray night prayers. (I haven't been following this advice much lately, as I flop into bed after 11 and zonk right out! I think the dryness I feel has a direct correlation.)<br />2.) Just last Saturday my parish priest said that our life is well-ordered when we, at night, don't do our tasks right up to the end. He said to be sure to attend to the needs/relationships of the people around us, and then to God before turning out the light (this means tucking in the kids, maybe doing tasks, and then actually going to bed with my husband!!) Then, in the morning, it is reverse. God has to come first, then the needs of the people around me (I think this means not reading blogs while my family sits down to breakfast!!) He said there is no time limit on these things, just a deliberate ordering of our life. Otherwise, our lives are just a whole bunch of meaningless tasks. <br /><br />I think what you said is also true: each morning we begin anew and start over. And we do this, not looking at a whole bunch of resolutions that we will fall short of, but with the use of our will to allow Jesus to meet us where we are. <br /><br />I think the hardest thing is to pass on our faith to our children, to instill in them a prayer life and personal relationship with Christ, and to show them how to walk the walk (when we ourselves fall short of that every minute of every day). I think it is consistency and perserverance, submitting to Christ's will in our lives (which can come from prayer and scripture), and begging His help in this area. And then, as the first priest mentioned above told me, "you eventually have to cut the shirt tails and allow them to develop their own faith." Sad sometimes, but painfully true....<br /><br />Thank you for your candid postings, and for drawing people into real life faith in Christ!<br />Sue E. Yes, Kelly, I go through dry spells, too. I even think I may be in one now. I am heading to bed later than I like these days, which makes it harder to get up the 1 hour I like to get up before the kids to pray and get ready. Then, when I roll out of bed I find myself having abbreviated, sometimes interrupted, prayer times. But, I have gotten some wisdom from priests over the past few years and even recently that can lead us to a closer, more constant relationship with Christ.

1.) One priest, twice, gave me the recommendation to go to bed earlier. He said that sleep really is important, and that getting into bed earlier makes it easier to pray night prayers. (I haven’t been following this advice much lately, as I flop into bed after 11 and zonk right out! I think the dryness I feel has a direct correlation.)
2.) Just last Saturday my parish priest said that our life is well-ordered when we, at night, don’t do our tasks right up to the end. He said to be sure to attend to the needs/relationships of the people around us, and then to God before turning out the light (this means tucking in the kids, maybe doing tasks, and then actually going to bed with my husband!!) Then, in the morning, it is reverse. God has to come first, then the needs of the people around me (I think this means not reading blogs while my family sits down to breakfast!!) He said there is no time limit on these things, just a deliberate ordering of our life. Otherwise, our lives are just a whole bunch of meaningless tasks.

I think what you said is also true: each morning we begin anew and start over. And we do this, not looking at a whole bunch of resolutions that we will fall short of, but with the use of our will to allow Jesus to meet us where we are.

I think the hardest thing is to pass on our faith to our children, to instill in them a prayer life and personal relationship with Christ, and to show them how to walk the walk (when we ourselves fall short of that every minute of every day). I think it is consistency and perserverance, submitting to Christ’s will in our lives (which can come from prayer and scripture), and begging His help in this area. And then, as the first priest mentioned above told me, “you eventually have to cut the shirt tails and allow them to develop their own faith.” Sad sometimes, but painfully true….

Thank you for your candid postings, and for drawing people into real life faith in Christ!
Sue E.

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