Getting Through the Dry-spells

"Even when you doubt, even when it doesn't feel like anything is happening, even when it seems like God is not around, you keep doing the Mitzvot. You keep saying the prayers, you keep rinsing your hands every morning, you keep decorating the Sukkah with fruit, and lighting the sabbath candles, and making the latkes at Hanukkah. The action will get you through the dry spells. Eventually the feeling that God is hovering in between your shoulder blades will come back".

~ Lauren Winner ("Girl Meets God")

I have been reading a fabulous book over the past few weeks entitled, "Girl Meets God". In a nutshell, it describes a young woman's journey from Orthodox Judaism to Christianity. It's a fascinating story and I would highly recommend it to anyone. The above quote stood out to me as I was reading and it has been something that has been sitting in the forefront of my mind ever since.

Dry spells come and go with seasons. It appears that there are numerous people finding themselves in desert like territory as of late, myself included. Dry spells typically have a negative connotation attached to them, but I don't think a dry spell is necessarily such a bad thing. In fact, it's a normal part of relationships. We go through phases where we play hermit cards and avoid social gatherings - not because we have anything against our friends, but rather we crave the opportunity to just sit and be with ourselves. As friends, we understand these dry spells - we give each other space to do whatever it is that the other person needs. We understand that there may be fewer phone calls or emails back and forth. It's not always a bad thing.

Dry spells with Jesus can be the same way. We may not feel like "chatting" with Jesus the way we normally do. Conversations are shorter and longer between. It happens. I believe that Jesus is quite OK when we find ourselves in those desert like scenarios because he desires to be in relationship with us and relationships have dry spells. Being in a relationship doesn't necessarily have to mean things have to be on fire and exciting all the time. Sometimes relationship is about sitting in the presence of one another and just being. I think Jesus relishes those times when we allow Him to just sit and be with us. I believe that is what He intended being in relationship with us would look like. Yes, God moves in extravagant ways, but He also moves in whispers and gentle breezes.

Lauren Winner, in her book, reminded me that in the dry spells it is important to keep doing the things I do, such as devotions and prayer, in order to keep myself connected to Jesus. The words I read may not be earth shattering or awe-inspiring and the prayers I speak may not be eloquent and lengthy, but they do the trick to keep me connected. I need to continue the disciplines I have set in place so that when the dry spells end I won't feel quite so disconnected to Jesus. It's a reminder to continue to invite the presence of Jesus into the day, to just sit and be with me when life becomes dry and desert like.