In the Desert

For the past couple of weeks, I've been writing a talk for the men's ACTS retreat my parish is having in January. The talks are intended to give the reatrants direction based on the faith experience of the talk giver. They also tend to be somewhat confessional in that we are asked to talk about some fall-and-resurrection experience in our own lives.

I've done more falling than resurrecting in my life. And, as I was writing my talk, praying that I would say what the men next month will need to hear from God through me, I found that it was becoming much more confessional than I had intended. However, I persevered and presented the talk to the other team members who thought that, with a few minor clarifications and additions, it was exactly what the retreatants will need to hear.

It's too intimate to ever post or distribute. And, needless to say, it's been spiritually draining. It's also been artistically draining. I haven't been able to write much of anything else and this blog has gone without an update for more than two weeks. At first, I thought it hardly mattered. What's one more blog gone quiet for awhile?

But, on the off chance someone noticed, I thought it courteous to offer this explanation. I'm not sure how much longer I will be in the artistic desert. Probably less than the 40-year desert experience of the Israelites, but few ever have much success predicting those sorts of things.

I have learned, though, that when you propose to write for God, you write what he wants when he wants it. Lately, he's wanted assorted speeches and talks and, even if they can't be blogposts, that's what I need to write. When he wants regular blog updates, I'll start doing those again too.

I hope your Advent has been spiritually profitable. Because it's unlikely I will post again in the next week, I also wish you and yours a Merry Christmas.