Out Our Way: God's cell towers - Isaiah 40:31

     Out our way, the use of cell phones can be limited. I was kidding Charlie about being glad Doc could not be wired from a phone — when his cell phone went off. Big Mike was calling about a missing bull. But where we were in Tiger Ridge did not allow for a clear call, so we had to ride up various ridges until Charlie could get a signal.

Now here I am in the city, and while I can usually get a signal, the WiFi is spotty. My laptop went haywire again and I am not sure this will even get through because of it. There are times I really hate technology and find myself cut off. As I use email more than snail mail this is a real challenge!

Now and then, I fear God’s “cell towers” are not working, for I feel little or no connection. “Is anybody there?”  Seems like I can not get connected.

Fortunately, what I feel and what is true are not the same things. Many good and deep disciples have also felt like there was no “connection” but later assure me that there was — even if we did not “feel” it. I think of St. John of the Cross’s difficult — for me at least — book “The Dark Night of the Soul.”

He suggests that sometimes the  sense that the “cell tower of God” is not working is part of a greater plan. Faith grows in the dark times, he claims, and although we may feel the Lord is not listening, He is. He does not answer in order to encourage to us to grow in faith.

We read of saints who have great visions and experiences of the presence of God — but most also admit there were many times when the “line was dead” — or seemed to be.

They had no encouragement and had to rely of faith alone. 

——

John Bruington