Opening Yourself

Opening Yourself

 For a long time I always thought there was this set of rules that you had to follow when you were worshiping or even giving honor to God. That there is only that one spiritual path that you pick and nothing can be added to that path. What I mean is that if you say the rosary, then that is your spiritual path, if you do adoration then that is your way. I thought if you had mixed ways then you were not devoting yourself to one way and wouldn’t be spiritually filled. Granted this was many years ago when I was first back to church. Then I learned how wrong I was. 

    There is no set rules at all, I put those rules on myself. By putting those rules on myself I was limiting how God can open my heart and also limiting myself in how I can worship and praise God. I was asked by someone to go on a retreat called Life in the Spirit. I had never been on a retreat before and had no clue how this went. It was a weekend away and all different talks. I was so nervous and honestly a bit scared. This was out of the box for me. God was at the church to me and thats all that you had to give. That hour on sunday was all that was needed. I knew nothing of the LIS retreat and I am glad I didn’t after the fact. I think I would have found a way not to go if I did know that it was out of my comfort zone. This weekend introduced a new spirituality to me that I didn’t even know of, charismatic. 

      The weekend started with me watching people sing these up beat songs about God and raising their hands in the air. This was something new to me. I watched them so intently because I didn’t understand where this came from and well, even is this something we can do. I was in the mindset of church, Stand, Sit, Stand, Kneel, Sit, Kneel, repeat. I realized this was another way to give God praise and honor and that it just wasn’t a one way deal. I learned a lot that weekend and a few years later I was a leader of that group that put on the retreat. 

      With coming back to God I am exploring all those ways I used to give Him honor and praise and it is amazing how those ways are still the way that I feel Him. There is just something there when I am in my car and a praise and worship song comes on and I start singing it, that in that moment God is that focus. I feel Him in that moment and I don’t want that moment to end. I wouldn’t have that if I didn’t go outside of my comfort zone of pray at home and at church to feel God. 

       I was at a christian concert tonight and I have to say it amazes me to watch as people raise their hands in praise. Hundreds of people feeling God and Jesus and opening themselves up and reaching out to God. Yes, at regular concerts people raise their hands to the singer or band. It is a very different feeling at a christian concert. The singer or band has a different draw. The draw is the message of God and Jesus. People will dance and raise their hands in praise and they don’t care how they may appear to others. I have to say that I am still uncomfortable to do that. I don’t feel that I have to do it but I know that there have been times that I didn’t because I was concerned how it would be seen. I know it shouldn’t matter.

       There are those moments I am finding that I am holding back and not opening up fully. That I am just waiting to get that final confirmation that this is all ok and just go with it.  There are many different spiritual avenues out there and the great thing is there isn’t that one way street. You can go up and down as many as you want to and it will not take away from each other but enhance them. If you want to pray the rosary during adoration then get in your car and praise God in song as you drive to that christian concert to raise your hand in praise then so be it. You are not limited in your options. We are the ones that limit ourselves in this life. 

Until tomorrow God Bless, and open yourselves to all spiritual avenues and take the route that makes you feel Him.