The turning of one's heart and will to God does not happen suddenly. Instead, it is a way of life. It is not an enhancement of life, but a gradual movement toward becoming authentically human. It requires patience and persistence. There are no quick fixes or express lanes, just the constant and gentle turning to God.
As we seek to evolve, transform, and grow in intimacy with The Divine by turning away from self-will and turning toward the will of God, it is helpful to always see ourselves as the pilgrim, guided by the Holy Spirit, living in ongoing conversion, mindful that God is always calling us into deeper places with ongoing newness and fullness of life.
This means that we must also confront those parts of ourselves from which we need liberation: things like anger, judgment, the need for control, or unhealthy needs for affection or acceptance by others. We must be free of these things in order to realize who we truly are. In doing so, we are free to change and become agents of transformation, both in our own lives and in the lives of others. The goal must always be to grow in love of God and our neighbor. It means that we are always aware and open to the change that is required for the true conversion of life that can help us live closer to our true nature as created by God.
This conversion of life means that we will sometimes need to re-imagine ourselves in a way that helps us move our perceptions beyond what we know as our finite lives and into the wider view of the created universe. We may have to move beyond what we think we know into what we do not know – into the mystery – and trust that the Holy Spirit is leading us to deeper, richer places within the heart of God.
Our journey can offer us conversion moments within the larger trajectory of life. Remember Paul on the road to Damascus and the blind man healed by Jesus’ muddy touch. These experiences were powerful and profound, yet like experiences in our own lives, they are moments that are not and end in themselves. They are moments that change the direction of our lives and set us on a new path – a new road of self-discovery and transformation that leads us to a new understanding of who we are.
This path of life is not always an easy one to travel and presents us with many challenges. The conversion road can lead through sorrow and through joy, through the desert and to the oasis, through the dark night and into the sunlight of the Spirit. Along the way we will drink from both the cup of tears and the cup of salvation. All of this is a gift from God because it is the gift of life itself. Let us claim it all as our conversion experience as we press on, constantly changing and ever growing with a commitment to become the person God desires us to be.
Brother Dennis
Many thanks for your excellent spiritual writings. May you and the CDL receive abundant blessings from above! Much love, John+
Thank you Brother Dennis, this was what I needed to read this morning. I feel gentleness towards the parts of myself that unknowingly turn away from the path and don't understand how they got lost. It truly feels like many sheep being sheparded with love and grace - Amelia
Thank you, brother Dennis. So beautifully said. So beautifully lived.