Dry Spell

It's amazing to me that even during what I call a spiritual dry spell, God still manages to use me. I will never understand him.



I received an email from a friend yesterday and she shared some difficulties she is going through spiritually. I was sitting there reading it thinking me too, me too, I totally understand, man, I could have written this! In it she thanked me for listening and understanding and shared some new discoveries she has made recently through a book I loaned to her simply because it was interesting and I thought she might like it. I wasn't trying to "teach" anything at all. I just passed along something that I liked. God used that as much as he's used my words to her. Amazing.



I am reminded about the apostle Paul and how he often wrote letters to encourage the churches in different cities. He wrote from prison and I got to thinking that while we read about his joy in Philippians and about how he finds himself content even in the worst of circumstances, I wonder if he sometimes wrote those encouraging letters trying to encourage himself? I mean, I can often say nice things to help people through a tough time. I will write notes that encourage others. I will send a card with a simple "I'm praying for you" and I can sometimes just listen to a person share their troubles. All the while, I am sharing "words of wisdom" that I sometimes don't follow myself. I share scripture, God's promises, even though I myself don't apply those promises to my life. I find it hard to believe that every moment that Paul was beaten almost to death, or sat in prison for great lengths of time, that he rejoiced in each moment. I am sure there were times he felt beaten down and tired. He had to feel stressed out just like I do at times, but he always knew where and to Whom to turn. He drew on God's strength when his was faltering, but I don't believe for a minute Paul never felt drained. I think writing those letters, which ended up in scripture, was somewhat therapeutic for him and God used that in Paul's life just as much as He did in the life of the Church.



I can be in a spiritual dry spell and yet God continues to use me in the spiritual lives of others. I am blessed by that immensely, and I am also humbled and at times ashamed.