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Sometimes the Christian journey can be really rocky. Prayer dies on your lips. Your heart once filled with warmth and love, seems cold and empty. We can feel useless. I’m not talking about those times when we are super busy with just living when the whole question of God and our relationship gets pushed to one side. Nor about the chaotic days that mark the arrival of children in our lives. I’m talking about those times when we are able to be still and know we ought to be able to spend rich rewarding times in spiritual exercises or prayer, yet there is nothing, those times when we feel unable, bereft, hopelessly lost. When even uttering a favourite prayer becomes an apparently useless act.

Let’s be honest, sometimes God seems a long way away, or far worse we feel very far away from God.

Unless there is some reason we can search out in our souls for this emptiness, like sinful behaviour or laziness, there is little we can do. Of course we must make the effort to painstakingly examine our conscience and our life to clear away anything that might be our fault.

If we do all this and perceive nothing wrong in our own lives, then what?

This is not an uncommon experience. It is something that afflicts most people and I am always slightly suspicious of those who don’t experience these problems.

It’s not doubt. It’s not because we are fools following a made up path. It’s not the devil at work.

I’m not wise enough to give a reason for these barren times. I can only share my own experiences of dealing with these times. Since I am a writer by inclination I try to write down how I feel at these times, not to keep, but just as an exercise in studying the moment whether it is short or lasts for days. For me, that helps a great deal and often at the end of a time of prayerful writing down how I feel I find myself in a better place and at peace. Letting it all go and finding at the end the peace I sought with God. That’s not for everyone of course. But I am sure you will be able with a little effort find something that suits you and works for you.

Of course sometimes nothing seems to work. Sometimes not even sharing what you are going through with another fellow Christian helps.

A long time ago a very fine teacher told me that arriving in a classroom at nine in the morning feeling like you could see the class far enough  is the  time to force a smile on to your face and wait for your emotions to catch up with the smile. Transferring that into our Christian life, it is about not giving up on our spiritual exercises. Continue to pray, to read your Bible or the Mass readings for the day. The secret is not to give up. This amazing God who loves us more than we can imagine is fully aware of our stumbling in the darkness. We think we are abandoned and alone, but of course we aren’t. It requires our strength and our discipline to keep moving forward no matter how hard it feels. We are not alone in this apparent spiritual darkness, we need all of our faith and trust to keep moving.  The light may appear to have gone out (it hasn’t) but we move onwards knowing that God and His Holy Angels are with us. We keep faith with the one who cannot and will not let us go. If it is His Graceful intention we will come out again into light. If not, then knowing all that we do, we go on trusting,    He is marking out our every footstep. Even if we are walking through the valley of death the Lord is with us.

Do not be fooled by emotions and fears, God is with us. Do not be discouraged by these times of trial, do not give up at these hurdles. Keep going. The reward after all is eternal union with Our Lord. Life is so short and we all die. Till that happy day, keep faith, keep going. It will all pass and sooner than we realise we will be at  home in  Our Father’s welcoming arms.