"One who pays heed
to the wind will never sow, and one who watches the clouds will never
reap." Ecclesiastes 11:4-10
This is a very common delusion that most of us have to face. “I would be more spiritual if…”
…I lived in the mountains.
…I lived on the beach.
…I was retired.
…I was married.
…I was not married.
The list of possible “ifs” goes ad infinitum!
The reality is that God meets us where we are, and
invites us into the spiritual realm regardless of what the circumstances are in
our lives. In fact, it is often within
those circumstances where the spiritual journey can begin. Coming to an awareness of God’s presence in
the midst of the life’s ups and downs – especially in the pangs of hurts and
brokenness – is a true sign of spiritual growth.
A major component of this is acceptance. We accept life on life’s terms, knowing that
God is always with us. We have faith
that things will work out if we give our lives and ourselves to the care of
God. This acceptance, in and of itself,
is spirituality. I like how Vincent P.
Collins put it in a pamphlet called Acceptance:
“If you place yourself in God's hands in the morning, and
through-out the day you hold yourself ready to accept His will as it is known
through the circumstances of your daily life, your attitude of acceptance
becomes a constant prayer.”
Coming to this level of acceptance is not an easy
task. In fact, it is often a life-long
journey. But, it is not a journey we have
take alone. It is often helpful to have
someone to reel us back in when we are not accepting life on life’s
terms…someone to remind us that it will all work out if we relinquish the need
to control and just have faith in God.
Ultimately, the goal is to come to know ourselves, our
circumstances, and God more intimately, and to become truly grateful for all of
it. A spiritual director can help you
learn to see God more clearly in the darker periods of our life and work with
you to continue spiritual growth in the midst of the circumstances of life.
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