Have you ever been “amiss” with God? I know we all get frustrated with Him but I mean, like, nothing, no feedback, lights are on but no one’s home? Not just for a day or two but for a long period of time?
Have you ever longed and cried out for Him so much that you felt like you couldn’t cry or beg anymore? Have you ever felt like your prayers were hitting the ceiling and bouncing back? Or better yet, you felt like God left in the night with no forwarding address? Have you ever measured your relationship with Him by how well you perform?
If you answered yes to any/all of the above, you may have come into a season called the Dark Night of the Soul. The Dark Night of the Soul is a period of time often described as “A Wilderness Season.”
It’s an amazing experience that I often talk about by saying, “I’m glad I went there, but I never want to go again.” I think anybody who cries out to the Lord for an authentic relationship with Him will experience it – but very few talk about it.
The Dark Night of the Soul is a time when God strips away every false ideal, expression, impression, and opinion (and everything else) you have about yourself and God. In its completion, you will realize the privilege of coming to the “end of yourself.” Most importantly, you’ll find out who you really think God is, aside from your doctrine, faith, and/or experience of Him.
It’s both terrifying and frustrating. If you survive it, in the end, you’ll not only unlearn a lot, but you’ll also slow down. You will sense a “shift” like Paul refers to in Ephesians 4:12 – a “katartismos,” so to speak. You will find that you don’t push up against God with your demands of yourself, others, and even Him. You’ll learn to rest, breathe, and respond instead of reacting.
It’s kind of like a shifting of gears in the Spirit. Cruise control, if you will. You’ll realize that you’re no longer in a hurry or running late. As a matter of fact, you’ll soon recognize that you’re not running at all. Instead, you’re basically just showing up.
You will finally choose to be. And watch God do. Whatever He wants. Without your help. You will finally realize that He doesn’t need you. He really just wants to be with you. And that is really cool.
No expectation, no performance. No rush. No worries. Just you and the Creator, the Most High – hanging out. Together. Quiet. Kind of like finally coming home – to yourself.
The best part is that your heart will overwhelm your mind with a greater experience of who God is and most importantly, who He created you to be. It’s actually a very cool experience. After it’s over.
Here’s a testimony of one of our tribe members, describing her experience in the Wilderness season, otherwise referred to as the Dark Night of the Soul:
“God Wants to Be My Mom?” by Vicki Eitel
For more testimonies and experiences like this, please look around our website.
Or contact me for more info as to how you can join The Journey, our tribe.
God bless,
Kerri