Friday, February 25, 2011

Sharing Experiences of God

For many people, their relationship with God is a private thing, not shared with anyone else. The wonderful secret is, when you share how you experience God in your life with another, it intensifies it and enhances it. Unfortunately, even those who are married do not always see it this way. I find it very sad that people who have chosen to share their lives with one another keep this part of their life hidden, or at least do no speak about it to their spouse.
Part of this week for me has been the opportunity to share with brother priests how God is impacting my life in these days. Sometimes the words do not come easy, but the more I practice it, the easier it becomes. And in sharing the experience, I find that I discover even more than I originally thought was there. Knowing that you have to share with another also makes you more attentive throughout the day and so you become more aware of how God is acting in your life.
This probably sounds crazy to a lot of people, since we are accustomed to thinking that our relationship with God is private, personal and no one else's business. But I believe God gives us these moments not just for ourselves, but so that, in sharing with another, He can impact more than one life.
So the challenge for today is to try and share with someone a way in which God has impacted your life today. It may be your spouse, parent, child or good friend. It may feel awkward the first few times, but I assure you, it is worth the risk. And by sharing these experiences of God with one another, the world will be transformed. And if you are able, send me a comment and let me know how it went. I predict you will be surprised by the results!

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Dear Fr. Steve,

You communicated beautifully!

It is tough to share a spiritual experience, especially at first. Someone told me that Mary's sharing to her cousin Elizabeth was the Magnificat--she shared what God was doing in her life.

That freed me from self-consciousness. After all, I'm not bragging about what I did, I am sharing what God could do in my life when I try to follow Him by living the Word and doing His will.

Thanks for sharing.