Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
– Psalm 139:16
Our exploration of sacred time invites us now to take a deep look into the seasons of our lives – those past and those now unfolding. As we grow older, says Christine Valters Paintner, we find ourselves in a life season in which we are called upon to live with a certain measure of ambiguity and tension.
God’s deepest quality is mystery, says Paintner, and we experience that ineffableness throughout our spiritual journeys. At times we are wrapped in God’s presence feeling comforted and at peace; at other times God feels elusive and far away. Our lives will always have these times of tension, says Paintner, and we must learn to be present to what she calls “the full spectrum of our experience” (pg84).
Every season comes as a doorway and an invitation to cross a threshold, says Paintner. The temptation is to rush through our lives and miss the energy found in these transitions. The task, especially in the later years of life, is to live each season fully, to accept that there will be burdens but to seek out the blessings. We will find peace when we can be content with whatever season we are in, let go of the past that needs to be put to rest and accept what this new season is calling us to live into.
Chapter 6 offers us several ways to transition into a new life season on pages 93-95, and we encourage you to explore at least one of them.
As you read, questions for reflection:
1. As you reflect on the seasons of your life, which significant life events stand out? Which season were you experiencing during each life event? Did the event trigger a seasonal transition for you?
2. Beginning on p. 83, Paintner describes the spiritual tensions which all of us experience in the course of our lives. When in your life have you felt closest to God? When have you felt the most distance from God?
3. At the bottom of p.83, Paintner states, “as we mature spiritually, we are called upon to learn to live with a certain measure of ambiguity and tension.” How do you deal with this uncertainty and unpredictability in your life?
4. At the top of p.86, Painter reminds us, “We are called to cultivate patterns and ways of being that nourish a slow soulfulness and mindful attention to all that is unfolding.” What is unfolding for you right now? Are there places where you move mindlessly on from one activity to another, from one life stage to another?” How would you like to change this? Is it even possible?
5. Have you ever experienced a time in your life that “shimmered with sacred presence?” (p.93) What was it like for you?
The Wisdom Years 