I'm diving in! The theme of going deeper keeps returning.

I've written before about going deeper, about diving in deeper, etc.  I find it strangely odd, yet comforting, that this theme of going deeper in my spiritual life journey keeps coming up.  As I've referred to in past posts, one of the times in my life that will always be a spiritual marker for this is a time on a mission trip to Costa Rica in 2006, while at El Bambú.  I felt God letting me know it was time to go deeper in my relationship and I had NO IDEA truly what that really was going to mean.  Yet, my husband Riley responded with "go with the flow" and my life has been a very interesting ride since then.

Academy weeks tend to be times of going deeper, at least for me.  I would imagine that is the case with most folks.  There is silence and solitude.  There is time to have conversations with others.  There is worship time.  There are faculty sessions and then plenary sessions to debrief the reflection time.

This past week, I had been careful to not really pray for marinating as I had once in the past.  There wasn't really anything on  my mind, though I was starting to feel on edge the week prior to going.  And, as I've briefly written, that could have been my heart, mind, and soul being prepared for the Academy time or it could have been a number of other things.... or a combination. 

What I do know is that one afternoon (Thursday, July 19th) during my reflection time after the "Discernment and Ways of Prayer" session on "Walking With a Formed Heart" with Dr. Steve Harper, some thoughts struck me.  We were to answer the question: "In relation to the three dimensions of formation [lifelong process, of being conformed to the image of Christ, for the sake of others], which do you feel more congruent with?  Why?  Which one do you feel is calling for the most of your attention at this time?  Why?"  [This question and the discussion came from a Dr. Robert Mulholland quote from Invitation to a Journey on spiritual formation.  Steve Harper was showing us how this quote can be applied to discernment.  I have this book, but haven't gotten to read it yet.] We can go in other directions as the Spirit leads, but I was working with this question.  While working with it, "for the sake of others" is what kept coming to me as what is calling me the most right now.  At that point, my sleepy eyes and body got the best of me and I did another holy thing for a few minutes-- nap.  When I awoke, a refrain to a song came to my mind out of nowhere (seemingly) because I've not heard this song in a while.  In fact, I had to use my phone to look it up.  But what came into my head were these words: "I'm diving in!"  So, when I looked it up, I learned that the song was by Steven Curtis Chapman.  The refrain in its entirety (because I could only remember a little) and the two verses struck me as appropriate to my reflection and where I am on the journey.  Though I can not explain what this fully means or what it will look like, I am only responsible for the next step that I can see.  So, I'm diving in!

The lyrics to "DIVE" by Steven Curtis Chapman:

The long awaited rains
Have fallen hard upon the thirst ground
And carved their way to where
The wild and rushing river can be found
And like the rains
I have been carried here to where the river flows, yeah
My heart is racing and my knees are weak
As I walk to the edge
I know there is no turning back
Once my feet have left the ledge
And in the rush I hear a voice
That’s telling me it’s time
to take the leap of faith
So here I go

I’m diving in, I’m going deep

in over my head, I want to be
Caught in the rush, lost in the flow,
in over my head, I want to go
The river’s deep, the river’s wide,
the river’s water is alive
So sink or swim, I’m diving in

There is a supernatural power
In this might river’s flow
It can bring the dead to life
And it can fill an empty soul
And give a heart the only thing
Worth living and worth dying for, yeah
But we will never know the awesome power
Of the grace of God
Until we let ourselves get swept away
Into this holy flood
So if you’ll take my hand
We’ll close our eyes and count to three
And take the leap of faith
Come on let’s go

Press here for a link to the song on YOUTUBE.

What about you?  Is there something specific calling to you from the three areas of formation mentioned in the reflection question?  Or, is there something in the song that calls to you?

One thing that I continue to learn on my journey is that deep calls to deep.

May there be times to dive in on your journey!  Come on, let's go!

~Debra