One experience I have described in an earlier blog, The Dark Night of the Soul: Part 2, with the losses from my business and the injustice done to my family. The stress became so overwhelming that I cried out to God in despair. 

Another dark night period, after I had lost my business and my employment contract had been prematurely terminated eight months thereafter. My son called the day I was terminated and, without the knowledge that I was no longer working, asked if I were interested in doing some consulting.  

I told him I was interested and began consulting the next week. I had gainful employment for the next six months. I perceived that the hand of God had intervened, as often the case, to provide for me and my families’ well-being.

Nevertheless, the next few months were a dry period in my meditation.

I did not know what God wanted for me and there was a notable absence of God’s presence when I sat down to pray. No matter how long I sat there, it seemed void and without fruit. However, I had an intense longing and desire for God and I also had a strange sense that God was somewhere near, just not present to me.  

Initially, I struggled with the thought that my prayer life was somehow at fault but since this experienced was so contrary to what I knew, I resolved to persevere. I continued the practice of sitting in the void and, then at the end of the session, I would offer prayers for others which was also my usual practice.  

This went on for several months until I was finally able to experience a flooding of God’s love into my being. I was filled so completely that I felt consumed by this love; I could sit for any length of time and revel in the grace and blessings that had been bestowed on me.  

Yet I had no sense that I was deserving of this tremendous outpouring of love, rather it humbled me to the point of being mentally prostrate before God. 

Click to check out Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 1, Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 2, Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 3, Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 5 and Meditation Becomes Contemplation: Part 6