How Dry I Am…

Feeling a bit dry in your spiritual life? I’ve hit a bit of a dry spell myself recently. It’s not that my faith is shaken or even wavering. It’s more that I feel spiritually spent; like a wet sponge that’s been wrung out and left on the counter to dry. After all, being a mom can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually exhausting. There are a lot of people who depend on you not only for their physical existence but for their spiritual existence as well.

Despite my current spiritual drought, I’m not terribly discouraged. I recognize that there is a cycle to all aspects of my life- a natural ebb and flow that comes with being human, I guess. Just like in marriage, not every day is a double-rainbow, kick butt kind of day. Some days are just fine. Some are bad. And some are awesome. Plus, I take comfort in the fact that many of our most well known saints went through periods of dryness in their spiritual life.

Unfortunately, my spiritual dryness doesn’t just affect me. It affects my whole family. I’m sure I’m not the only mom out there who seems to be the emotional and spiritual barometer for the family. It seems that if I’m happy, I bring (most) everyone with me. Unfortunately, the same is true for when I’m sad, stressed, or angry. When I’m on top of my spiritual game-making time to pray regularly, being focused and present during Mass, keeping up with my spiritual reading-I notice that my family is more focused on their spiritual lives as well. And the reverse is also true. However, when I’m not on top of my game, neither are they.

A dear friend once told me that I need to remember what the flight attendants instruct you on their pre-flight safety speech. “In case of a loss of cabin pressure, place the oxygen mask over your mouth before placing it over your child’s.” In other words, you need to take care of yourself (physically, spiritually and emotionally) so that you can then take care of others. If I pass out from lack of oxygen, I’m absolutely no help to my children or anyone else, for that matter.

So, I’m taking a breath, riding the waves, and putting on my oxygen mask until the dry spell passes.

What about you? What do you do when you hit a dry patch? I would love to hear how you reinvigorate your spiritual life.