Thursday, January 28, 2010

Waiting As Spiritual Practice

I love Psalms 130 and 131, particularly these two passages:
I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. (130: 5-6)

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. (131: 2)
To me, these verses are about those times when I don't feel the Spirit. When I feel unsteady, or alone, or afraid, I know that it is time simply to calm my heart, go about my business, and wait with a prayer in my heart. Eventually, I will feel the Spirit again, just as those that wait for the morning eventually see the sun rise. My moods may fluctuate, but I can be steady, and trust that I will find my way again. I've realized that sometimes God expects us to stand up on our own ("like a weaned child"), to see what we can do on our own best resources. In those moments, I just do the best I can, even if I feel inadequate, knowing that I will learn something important. And knowing that even when I feel alone, I am never truly alone.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

You're just great. Thanks and thanks.

Hillary Clemens said...

Thank you. I'm coming from my dearest friends blog. I appreciate your articulate thoughts and your kind spirit.

John Gustav-Wrathall said...

Hillary - thanks, and welcome to my blog. Stop by any time!