Distress In Discernment

[Lil'Nun]

Hi Pham,

Please, of your charity, could you please include me in your prayers. I have hit a very rough spot in my discernment and am feeling quite torn. I thought I had made a lot of progress in my discernment but right now I feel back at square one. It's rather distressing.

Thanks for reading!
V.

[i<3franciscans]

Praying.

[mantellata]

Prayers for you.

[Jennifer]

Many prayers for you L'N...............I hope that everything works out for you. God bless.

[emmaberry]

Praying! Remember not to make any big decisions in the midst of desolation... There is a light at the end of this tunnel.

[Strictlyinkblot]

Prayers! We're on a tough road

[Catholicterp7]

You got it. You also have my empathy as I have been there many times and am yet again there right now. I promise you are making progress. When I was speaking to my SD about how frustrated I have been in that I've spoken to five communities in the past three years (mostly just because I'm impulsive, I wouldn't recommend discerning that way.) he reminded me that Thomas Edison said "I didn't fail ten thousand times, I found ten thousand ways not to make a light bulb" I love you and am praying for you!
JMJ+

[Pax_et bonum]

http://imaginesisters.org/catholicwomanhoo/

[littleflower3]

[quote name='Catholicterp7' timestamp='1347402976' post='2481479']
You got it. You also have my empathy as I have been there many times and am yet again there right now. I promise you are making progress. When I was speaking to my SD about how frustrated I have been in that I've spoken to five communities in the past three years (mostly just because I'm impulsive, I wouldn't recommend discerning that way.) he reminded me that Thomas Edison said "I didn't fail ten thousand times, I found ten thousand ways not to make a light bulb" I love you and am praying for you!
JMJ+
[/quote]

I feel the same way. A lot of the time I wonder why God led me so many ways that I feel like it ended no where. I know it is all part of His plan and some day I will see how it all worked out.

[AnneLine]

I have come to the conclusion that God does not throw anything away, that He is the Great Recycler. All those frustrating experiences of feeling like we are back to square one are NOT failures... it is the evil one who tries to convince us they are.

Even though it FEELS like you are back to square one, you are CLOSER to finding what God really wants from you at this point.. As I remind those I counsel and do spiritual direction with, 'If I were a little devil, I'd be telling you that you were hopeless, and that God couldn't possibly want you' -- in general, giving you reasons to STOP moving in the direction you were moving to serve God better. THAT defeatist thing is never from God.

What DOES come from God is a humble realization that we have made mistakes... or that we are confused... that what we wanted maybe isn't what God wanted.... and working through that takes us to a point where we can really know how much we need help and light from the Holy Spirit... and a determination to keep on moving forward to find His will for us.

That is the calm centered place where we can listen to God... but it is SO HARD to find it when in the midst of desolation..... So just keep moving forward one step at a time and trust that God who has brought you this far will make His will known.

I will pray for you! -- for ALL of you. Desolation-land is a nasty place to be!!!

Edited September 12, 2012 by AnneLine

[mantellata]

God as the great recycler.... LOVE IT!

[Lil'Nun]

Thank you all for your prayers and kind comments. I am still struggling but it helps a lot to know you are praying for me. It is not that Religious Life is less attractive to me. But more that all vocations now seem beautiful to me too. Most confusing.

[maximillion]

[quote][color=#282828][font='Segoe UI', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif]all vocations now seem beautiful to me too.[/font][/color][/quote]

Not surprising - since they [i]are[/i] all beautiful. This is a wonderful grace and one that will help with any possible sense of superiority.
It only needs be confusing if you let it be. Since all vocations are beautiful in His eyes, confusion will only come in if you start to question which of these beauties you are called to participate with for your salvation.
Within the beauty of all of these callings is the one you know He is calling you to...accept this, revel in it, praise Him for it and hold true to it. This does not mean you can't also be in wondrous awe at the variety and bountifulness of other callings......enjoy the beauty!