I am a Flower, a Cornstalk, a Sprig of Mint
Super-SpiritualThis week has been interesting. Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to sing with the Chorale at the Mantle Conference in Kansas City. It was a very spiritual weekend for me.
We prayed like, three times during the weekend, which is pretty crazy for me...during the weekend. Then I also experienced some other spiritual things in the services which made the weekend just super-spiritual. The point of this story is the fact that I'm not in that super-spiritual state now.
Metaphors Abounding
I am a flower, a cornstalk, a sprig of mint, a strawberry. No, I'm not insane, I am a metaphor. I am growing, and it takes time. While this weekend, I experienced some rain, the clouds are gone now and the sun is out.
Funny thing is that we consider the sun more important than rain in the growing process of plants. Some may say: well water and sun are equally important! That brings me to the point. I am using rain as the "spiritual" and the sun as the "dry" times. Both periods of time work together to bring growth.
"I am a Rock, I am a Fortress"
We use the cliches of "mountain-top" and "valley" experiences. I'm wondering what happened to the in-between. I do agree that mountains and valleys are part of the spiritual journey. My view is that they should be present only as part of the trip to a higher place. Tibet is a plateau region in China with an average elevation of 16,000 feet. To get to the plateau without flying, you must travel over mountains and valleys.
This is the spiritual landscape I want to be walking on. While it may be surrounded by mountains and valleys, there is a place (a spiritual "Tibet")where there is a consistent elevation. The people on that spiritual "plateau"? I would see them as the elders in our churches, the spiritually mature believers that live a continual walk with God. I think this journey contains many plateaus with the mountains and valleys.
The Point (or the "Peak" or the "Plateau" . . .)
Don't be discouraged in the valley. That's a no-brainer. Heres something not so "no-brainier"; dont be discouraged when you aren't always on the mountain. We may not and probably will not always be in a continual state of spiritual euphoria. Most druggies who do this overdose and die. Our goal is to have a steady rate of growth to a healthy and mature place.
posted by DJ | 1:48 PM
2 Comments:
David,
This was so interesting. I appreciate that you are being very transparent here and writing about the dry times. The spiritual journey does ebb and flow - sometimes it seems more ebb than flow, but that's a whole 'nother story....
I have learned from so many wonderful mentors and great books that the ebbing times have a simple reason - they make me want Him more, make me hunger after Him, pursue Him. So simple, but that reasoning puts me at ease and almost makes it okay for me to flow through those times. I believe God truely does invite us there - it all depends on whether we accept or not.
Ann Ahrens
most druggies do this and then overdose and die? eeps.
People who constantly expect to be in a state of spiritual euphoria are like when Paul wrote to the Corinthians and told them they were being too crazy, and said 'let everything be done decently and in order.' What's more important is building a life and a walk, block by block, day by day.
Actually, I really like your druggie comment - it's quite easy to become addicted to a spiritual "high" and not build a real relationship with God.
My thoughts, such as they are. :)
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