I'm finding actual, physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges during the transitions from one phase to another. Considering such as a hermit's "stricter" separation from the world, the transitions between phases involve various aspects but can be also viewed in the "-er" of "stricter."
My learning to discern and to understand God's "ways" with me (and somewhat with others, in compassion and not judging but in observing and learning with and from others' lives) exist in my "following" to His "leading" and even "ordaining." I refer to "ordain" defined "as of God, prescribing and determining", so in that sense God very much ordains the phases including transitions between phases according to His will and desire, and His knowing what is best for me.
God does and acts justly, He ordains for every soul who desires to believe in faith, to hope in God, to love Him in Himself, to simply accept and follow His leading.
Dr. H. called this morning. He has spoken to a man in his office building who does acupuncture but who has himself suffered severe and chronic pain involving the spine. Dr. H. is going to set up a time to hear this man's story, for the man wants to share it. The man has come to deal with his pain through some deeper spiritual means. Dr. H. wants to include me in a conference-type call, as he thinks this man's story might be of interest, given my spiritual life and experiences, plus the suffering.
Within this discussion of which I'm always interested in people's journeys and including their sufferings being formative in their spiritual lives, I mentioned to Dr. H. my period of current transition in which I realize I am to accept a yet deeper call and deeper, blind faith entering into that which I know not. Yet I know God will lead me to far better and greater understanding and perhaps better ability to pray for others in ways beyond what has been. I also, in faith and in hope in God, consider that I must pass through this transition period of some trepidation in the unknown and needing courage, for I must let go of what was, and not linger in grieving what was.
There are various challenges a person experiences when in transition from a lesser phase to a deeper phase. One must step forth as if stepping off an outcropping of a cliff over a body of water--a cliff that one has not climbed to that point prior--and to simply drop or dive as best one can muster, with full abandonment to God, into the unknown waters below. The climb to that outcrop as well as the aspects one experiences, thinks, feels is a climb that has been at various levels and degrees of incline over a period of temporal time.
The phase prior to a transition and then the actual dive into the unknown depths of a deeper phase involve details unique to each soul aspiring to union with God.
Other than praying about facing and overcoming, passing through, the challenges in my specific transition, I also wrote an email to one who seems to me wise and seasoned in years and relatively unscathed and unfettered by such as personality disorders or other ailments. Rather refreshing for such as me with my pain issues and various other flaws.
I'll share some of what I wrote; perhaps I am more clear in correspondence. I have no idea. I'll put it in a separate, next post, for some of what I wrote might serve as reminder or more, to me of various thoughts in this particular transition period. It will also remind me that even in correspondence, there may be found a hermit's consideration of God as our source of beingness, God prominent and central--the ALL--to and in the life He bequeaths:--our temporal bodies, our minds, our hearts/emotions, our souls.
