ROUGH ROAD

  

ROUGH ROAD

 

Around the Year with Emmet Fox

 

May 30

 

Everyone on the spiritual path has found that

it happens occasionally in the early years—

and not often then—

that he suddenly finds himself

almost or quite unable to pray.

Often it seems that he cannot get any sense

 of contact with God.

This naturally depresses him and sometimes

leads to greater fear and almost to despair.

Now, these severe reactions are not necessary,

once you know that everyone goes through them.

This trouble is caused by overdoing.

You have been praying too long or too hard,

or you have been giving too much time

 to spiritual work exclusively,

instead of having other interests in your life too.

It is really a condition of staleness

 and psychological congestion.

The medieval mystics called these times

 "seasons of dryness"

and suffered severely

because they believed them to be sinful.

The remedy is not to struggle,

but to know that this dryness will surely pass,

and your spiritual joy return.

If you cannot pray, do not try, but think,

"God is so good that I need not pray;

 he will take care of me anyway."

(Of course, this itself is a wonderful prayer.)

On a long motor tour, it sometimes happens

that you come upon a piece of rough, bad road.

For hundreds of miles the going has been perfect,

but now you are shaken and bumped badly,

 but you do not worry,

because you know for certain

 that it will only last for a few miles.

Indeed, there is probably

a notice saying "Pavement ahead."

 

“weeping may endure for a night,

but joy cometh in the morning”

Psalm 30:5