As the temperature turns warmer and the days become longer and brighter, memories of digging in the sand on the beach or playing in the local sandbox come to mind. Did you ever try to dig a hole so deep that you thought you would soon reach the other side of the earth? Did you dig so deep through the beautiful, clean, warm sand that you reached a level of debris and yucky garbage? You may have grabbed a handful of old candy wrappers, straws, or even used Band-Aids and felt really disgusted with your findings. Did you quickly quit and fill the hole with fresh sand or did you continue to dig to see what might be underneath?

Our spiritual journey can be like digging in the sand. It begins with ‘warm’ feelings, joy and desire to do good. But as we continue this inner digging we might come to deeply hidden debris or faults that we try to deny or hide from ourselves and others. It is only when we are willing to continue this inner search that we can uncover what is holding us back from a truly loving relationship with God and others.

Jesus promised us that God would send the Holy Spirit to teach us everything. We must invite the Holy Spirit to help us dig deeper within ourselves so that we become aware of those hidden habits/thoughts/beliefs that are keeping us away from realizing the presence of God within us. Once we ask for help, we must ask for wisdom and perseverance to clear ourselves of those obstacles. Sometimes the Spirit will act directly during times of quiet prayer, sometimes the Spirit will reach us through the books we are reading and sometimes the Spirit will speak to us through the people and events we encounter. This awareness of our weaknesses can be disturbing, but when we accept ourselves as we are (and yet always trying to be our ‘best self’) we get a glimpse of living with the peace, freedom and joy of knowing that God is within us and we become more spontaneous in sharing this love (presence) with others. “Come Holy Spirit, fill us with your love.”

Peg Orzel