Help in finding my way

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I was raised Baptist. I was quite often the only person in my family that attended church. I was a baptist only becuase they had a bus that would pick me up for Sunday services. So, I rode with a friend on that bus to church. Services made me feel good. I felt the presence of the Lord in my life daily.

I had some differences with the Baptist faith and left the church for a long time. I returned when my children were old enough to attend Sunday School. I knew it was important that they know the Lord. I attended one or two non-denominational churches but it did not feel right. Then I went to a Catholic service and I felt like I was home. I knew this is where God wanted me to be.

Since my confirmation in 2001 several bad things have occured in my life that has lead me to doubt a lot of the things that I thought were true. A bi product of this I do not “feel” God in my life anymore. It is very scary and sad. I have talked with my Priest and he has given me a few suggestions and I read a lot. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I have a copy of the Passion that I see posted on a lot of the threads and plan to pray on it every day.

Can anyone offer any other suggestions?

Thank you and God Bless
 
Jus_me said:
I was raised Baptist. I was quite often the only person in my family that attended church. I was a baptist only becuase they had a bus that would pick me up for Sunday services. So, I rode with a friend on that bus to church. Services made me feel good. I felt the presence of the Lord in my life daily.

I had some differences with the Baptist faith and left the church for a long time. I returned when my children were old enough to attend Sunday School. I knew it was important that they know the Lord. I attended one or two non-denominational churches but it did not feel right. Then I went to a Catholic service and I felt like I was home. I knew this is where God wanted me to be.

Since my confirmation in 2001 several bad things have occured in my life that has lead me to doubt a lot of the things that I thought were true. A bi product of this I do not “feel” God in my life anymore. It is very scary and sad. I have talked with my Priest and he has given me a few suggestions and I read a lot. Does anyone have any suggestions for me? I have a copy of the Passion that I see posted on a lot of the threads and plan to pray on it every day.

Can anyone offer any other suggestions?

Thank you and God Bless
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Hi. A couple of thoughts.
  • you’re not alone; this absence of God or absence of feelings of God can happen throughout our lifetime. We are being prepared and developed and strengthened. God may have many reasons for allowing you this, for “giving you” this absence! Maybe you’ll be able to help someone else, or many others, like you over your lifetime…and you need to know how to do that.
  • God never changes. He is always there. We change. We’re the one who is fragile and influenced by the things of the day…we’re the one who THINKS we need feelings to go on.
  • But love isn’t feelings…it’s a decision to give, even if effortful, and lonely.
  • Pray - tell God these things - 10 minutes a day of uninterrupted prayer, maybe more…bring these substantial points to prayer. They are very good topics. Ask Him why…tell Him you don’t like not feeling Him. Ask Him to change you and so forth.
Practice the daily presence of God. Morning offering…short morning prayer, more Mass, more frequent confession, more reading the Bible (5–10 minutes a day), etc.

Spread these approaches to God out like a fan across your day.
 
In the beginning God often builds us up us by allowing us to feel His presence, but as one progresses in the spiritual life God withdraws in order that we may grow stronger.

It is very much like a healthy child/parent relationship in this sense, as we mature we are encouraged to be more self reliant.
 
Sweetheart, I know that going through these difficult times are challenging.

Jesus never said it would be easy – but he did promise it would be worth it! In fact today at Mass, he gave us two choices, a wide highway or a narrow road.

My sister has a wonderful sense of humor about these though times, and believe me, she has TOUGH times. She always says to me, regarding perseverence: “Mar, you gotta fake it 'til you make it.” In other words, do what you do… go to Mass, confession, the Eucharist and prayer. Even in tough times don’t give up.

I also agree with every one else about God preparing you for something. That truly does happen.

The following is a Catholic website that really helps. It’s from Britain. The type of prayer that they are guiding you with is called Lectio Divina. First there is beautiful music, then one of the readings from today’s Mass. Then a lovely voice prompts you to think about what you just heard, in a very personal way. You then hear the reading again. And then you just talk to God. It’s very very beautiful, and helps me so so much, I’m sure it will you too. (And it’s also a podcast, mp3 downloadable and only around 10-15 minutes long)

www.pray-as-you-go.org/

Hugs and Prayers
 
If there is any place where you can feel God, it is the chapel with the Eucharist exposed in it. Whenever I visit an Eucharistic chapel, I always feel the strong presence of God.
 
I truely know how you feel, my dry spell has been going on for quite some time now. For me, I seem to be always reminded of how far God feels from me in my daily life. Going to mass almost seems like a chore (at times). What I believe is that God has given me an opportunity to grow, and everytime I am reminded just how far He feels, it is actually Him telling me ‘don’t forget I’m still here waiting for you’ I don’t know if this is how you feel, but thinking of it this way makes me feel a little better on darker days.

God Bless
 
army_girl said:
I truely know how you feel, my dry spell has been going on for quite some time now. For me, I seem to be always reminded of how far God feels from me in my daily life. Going to mass almost seems like a chore (at times). What I believe is that God has given me an opportunity to grow, and everytime I am reminded just how far He feels, it is actually Him telling me ‘don’t forget I’m still here waiting for you’ I don’t know if this is how you feel, but thinking of it this way makes me feel a little better on darker days.

God Bless
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I could not have said it better myself. All of the posts here have given me food for thought and now that I think about it. This feeling that I have - or dont have - makes me think about God all the time. I think about how to please him. How to be a good example to friends, family and the world at large. Through all of this I have read more, thought more, prayed more than I ever have.

I am so amazed. I think I get it now. Perhaps this absence has been Gods way of helping me grow. Because through it all I feel like I am a better person than I was when all of this started.

Thank you everyone. You have given me some wonderful suggestions to help me. I can not tell you how great I feel right now. I hope that I will feel His presence in my daily life soon, but if not, I know I just need to keep growing.

God Bless
 
A man in my prayer group shared something that made me think and may help you. He said he had a powerful experience of God’s closeness once during Communion, one that he will never forget. But afterward he thought to himself, “God loved me just as much last week when I didn’t feel Him as He loves me this morning when I do feel Him.” For some reason this makes me feel very good. I think of a time when I felt God’s presence and I think to myself, “He loves me just that much right now!” It helps during the times I feel Him less.
 
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