a drop of waterArchive for the ‘Ignatius’ tag
From Desolation to Consolation
In small group during the prayer time, we’ve been trying the Ignatius prayers as a framework for discussion. We go over a point of desolation (where God is seemingly absent) and consolation (where God is noticeably present) and consider how God is moving in us through those times.
I’ve been realizing that points of desolation are primed for points of consolation, if we decide to make them so. For me personally, my weighty and tangled mess of stress, expectations, responsibilities and deadlines goes from desolation to consolation as I consciously acknowledge Gods presence in that very instant. The circumstances do not change, but my perspective does in that I know God is with me.
The reality is that despite my feelings of desolation, God is present in my life and consolation is within reach. I’m discovering that lately God is speaking most clearly in my moments of desolation. At the very least he is saying, acknowledge me; and acknowledging God in your life is a beautiful and renewing experience.
attempts at ignatius and the prayers of examen
Our half a year break from attending a small group has ended in our attendance of an established coast small group in the graduate student housing at UCSD, consisting of a number of young families and young professionals. In our prayer groups we’ve been working through some questions aimed at the heart of the Prayers of Examen and the Ignation Prayer. The three questions that we try to put our weeks into the context of are:
- Describe a point of desolation, where you felt a lack of God’s presence.
- Describe a point of consolation, where you were very aware of God’s presence.
- What do you think God is trying to say to you this?
For me, this has been sobering reminder to acknowledge God’s presence especially at work. It is easy for me to acknowledge God’s presence while singing on Sunday, but when I’m in my cubicle that is otherwise a drab gray, irradiated by two large Dell LCD’s, God is left outside in my conscious context. But intentionally looking for God’s presence or lack thereof is much different. I realized last night that during points of consolation, I am either 1. Seeking God for help or 2. Acknowledging God’s presence or 3. Seeking to know him more, while my points of desolation are only realized in hindsight. When the time is alotted to consider these points of desolation, I’m able to see God’s direction more clearly.
