Explain a Spiritual moment

[phil_at_dayboro]

If you have had a Spiritual moment,could you please explain the Emotion you felt,
We all experience in a different form, or place, maybe this could be educational for some ,

 

[Bob_Crowley]

If you have had a Spiritual moment,could you please explain the Emotion you felt,
We all experience in a different form, or place, maybe this could be educational for some ,

It depends what you mean by a “spiritual” moment. That’s going to be different for different people.

I’ve mentioned before that the night my father died, he appeared in my room. We argued and conversed, and at the end he gave this terrifying scream and disappeared. I suppose that was a “spiritual moment”, but a negative one.

On the more positive side, I’ve had 3 “double whammies”. My psychiatrist used the term when I told him about them, as he’s experienced the same thing - he’s Catholic and quite “spiritual”.

Around Christmas 1983, I was supposed to be a leader at what was called a “Beach Mission” run by Scripture Union (SU), a non-denominational Protestant outfit. The location was Forest Glen Caravan Park, just south of Nambour in SE Queensland, Australia.

I’d only been a Christian for a bit over a year, had been going through a divorce, had been chewed out at work by the boss before going on leave, and was feeling pretty much out of my depth in this SU beach mission. I also lacked confidence, and self esteem.

Consequently I was thinking to myself “How do I know this Christianity is real, and not just a psychological prop?”

But we used to have a Bible study session each afternoon at around 3pm for the leaders, when the kids we ministered to were back with their parents. This was led by the overall SU camp leader. I was feeling cheesed off, but had said nothing to anybody. It was also quite hot, and I was rather somnolent as I sat on the seat under a marquis (large tent).

But as the leader read out the words “… a man after my own heart …” from the Bible (OT), this “double whammy” hit me. It was like a breath going through you in waves from head to foot, very strong, very pronounced, and clearly used to highlight what was being said. In fact the only reason I remember those particular words was because of the “double whammy”. This camp went on for a week, but I can’t recall a single word or passage from any of the other Bible study sessions during that week - just that one phrase.

I nearly fell off the seat, I got such a shock. To date, apart from the episode with my father, it remains the most unexpected “Spiritual” experience I’ve had. Like I said, I got such a shock, I nearly fell off the seat.

I had two more within the next year I suppose, both times likewise used to highlight a specific phrase, and again that’s the only reason I remember those particular phrases.

And it hasn’t happened since.

But the first time it really took me by surprise - shock almost. And I also knew that Christianity was not just a psychological prop. There was a spiritual reality behind it, and any time it wanted to, it could make it’s presence known.

But without a single other person knowing about it, unless I said something. It remained hidden.

 

[hazcompat]

peace and joy

Peace

 

[Bob_Crowley]

If you have had a Spiritual moment,could you please explain the Emotion you felt,
We all experience in a different form, or place, maybe this could be educational for some ,

I gave my story above about the incident at the Forest Glen Caravan Park. But I didn’t say anything about my emotion at the time.

Well, prior to the “double whammy” I was feeling depressed, cynical, cranky and frustrated. But after the “double whammy” I spent the remainder of the camp on a spiritual high.

When I spoke to my pastor about it later, his response was “I suppose the Lord just wanted to encourage you. He knew you’d been through a tough time.”

And I think that was about it, apart from making it very, very clear He existed.

 

[Robert_Sock]

Like a fireworks display within my mind/soul. All these thoughts, that contained what I would describe as wisdom, were triggering each other, but with my limited awareness, I was unable to keep them all in long-term memory.

 

[DeniseNY]

In Church, praying for my mother to be healed when she was diagnosed with Melanoma and underwent multiple surgeries. I couldn’t sleep (and when I did, I would wake up shaking), couldn’t focus at work, my hair started to fall out… I was totally consumed with fear at the thought of losing her. I prayed day and night. The mass that day was about healing, and I remember this strange feeling coming over me. I heard (not out loud, but in my head) that “she is healed”. All at once, the fear left me. I actually felt as though a weight had been lifted from me, and I knew that God was in control and that I could trust in His Will. Even after all the ups and downs of her illness (at one point her PET scans were clean) to her getting very sick and being told that she had multiple tumors in her liver, and was terminal; to her eventually dying from a massive heart attack, I knew He was in control. I can look back and the see the mercies my family received. She did not go through an agonizing, painful death; and although I live 400+ miles away, I was visiting her and was able to be by her side when she died.

It was truly a gift, and one that I in no way think I am worthy of.

 

[phil_at_dayboro]

Well to me, it’s a real sense of emotion , it overcomes me, at times when I least expect it,
And Sometimes when I do, it’s as though I Float, ,I just want to outstretched my arms out wide and Float upwards, that’s the only logical way to explain it,
Some might think I’m nuts, but it has happened a number of times, not so much now,
Maybe because I’m older, it’s a spiritual feeling,not warm and fuzzy,no music or Voices,
Just this urge to outstretched arms and Float looking skywards,

 

[Bruised_Reed]

I’ve felt different things at different times. There was a time during my conversion of heart that I felt wooed by God. I was the recipient of spiritual gifts unexpectedly. Think about when you fell in love; that’s what it felt like. I felt such joy thinking about God that my joy would bubble up in a giggle while I was washing dishes or some other mundane task.

Other times I felt wonder. I’ll just copy/paste from another thread here:

I was praying the rosary at adoration and was using a book to meditate on the mysteries and I was on The Nativity. One of the things the book suggested was to ask Mary to show you how Jesus is born on the altar at each Mass. I finished the decade and was ready to move to the next but couldn’t. Not physically, but in my heart. So I paused for a moment and tried again but again I felt compelled to wait. So I thought, “okay, you want me to rest on this one” so I did. I let myself be still. I saw in my mind the church I was going to. It was dark except for the sanctuary especially the altar which looked like it had a soft spotlight on it. I saw a priest elevate the Host which was huge, like the size of a salad plate. He held it up and it began to glow. It started out white but turned a gold-peach-pink color and then the Host became the baby Jesus with the priest holding Jesus one hand in each of his so Jesus was standing on the altar, on his toes like babies when they are learning to stand…and that’s where I’ll stop as this is a very personal thing and I think the rest is supposed to be just for me. I think it’s relevant to mention that when I had been struggling with my faith only a couple of years before it was the belief in the True Presence that had become a stumbling block. I didn’t get it, I couldn’t believe it. At the time the vision happened I didn’t need convincing so this was a gift, plain and simple

I also was praying at a grotto near a church that had perpetual adoration. I was looking at all the candles and flowers that people had left by the statue. For a moment I wished I had something to leave and I heard "All I want is your heart.

“Wonder” or awe is the best I can do as an explanation.

BTW the book is “How to be Happy, How to be Holy” but Fr. Paul Sullivan.

And I’ll share the rest: So this baby/toddler Jesus toddled down the aisle to me and I sort of did what came naturally; I was a nanny at the time so I was used to wrangling kids so I picked Him up. So now I’m holding baby Jesus. Whoa. What do I with him now? Do I share him and pass him on to another person (I wasn’t aware of anyone else besides the priest)? But I really wanted to keep Him close to me. The vision fades out here. So I pondered this. Share Jesus or keep Jesus? I realized I could do both. By holding Jesus “just so” He would be the first thing people see; isn’t this how we should live? In statues of Mary and Jesus she is holding him as though she is offering him to the world. Isn’t this how we should live? Those were the thoughts I was left with. The wonder is still there.

 

[ccmcmg]

It’s very difficult to put into earthly words things that are not of this earth, for me.

The first and most moving experience/moment(s) I had, was … well, I felt literally, physically, lifted up during Mass, a voice praying that wasn’t mine, with words I didn’t know. It lasted for weeks. It’s a very other worldly ‘feeling’. Ethereal. Grace filled. Joy, peace, knowledge.

Other times, it’s ranged from a tingling or numbing feeling all over my body, to a lifting up of my spirit to His, being filled with His Love, Peace, Joy; it might be that I cannot feel my own body and its physical connection to where I’m at (kneeling, sitting, etc). Sometimes it feels like my heart is about to burst out of my body.

One that is happening more and more as I grow in the Spirit is that I am compelled to share what He has placed in my soul and heart with others. By compelled, it is going to EXPLODE out of me. Sometimes, I have written a response, or an essay/blog post, and I return to read it later…and I don’t recognize one word of it, and it’s one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. That is quite a feeling. Other times it’s words that I must share with others around me. He has never ever led me astray, even when it doesn’t make any sense to me.

God bless you!