Dry Mornings

I felt a little like Elijah this morning. By no means did I/we slay 400 prophets of Baal yesterday. But it was a good day and there was a lot of withdrawals from me. So, this morning I felt very drained, depleted and emotionally wasted. This morning's emotions are not foreign. My first response on most days is not "Jesus is about to shake the world today and I want to be a part of it!". But today's was a little more intense. There was a strong urge to...scan my facebook, look at some twitters, do some office paperwork and keep myself "busy", but not accomplish much of anything that is important - like disciple making. This is how I currently respond (most of the time) to this...I am sure this short list will change soon...

Find a place that is motivating to seek the Lord (this morning was Starbucks)
Read a lot of the Bible (my mind was too clouded to pray)
Journal - emotions, thoughts, and prayers
Make a list of things to pray for and do it
Give thanks in all circumstances
Keep your journey in the light with some brothers/sisters

I love this quote from C.S. Lewis' book Screwtape Letters (Letters from a demon to another demon about humans):
pg.39-40
And that is where the troughs come in. You must have often wondered why the Enemy does not make more use of His power to be sensibly present to human souls in any degree He chooses and at any moment. But you now see that the Irresistible and the Indisputable are the two weapons which the very nature of His scheme forbids Him to use. Merely to override a human will (as His felt presence in any but the faintest and most mitigated degree would certainly do) would be for Him useless. He cannot ravish. He can only woo. For His ignoble idea is to eat the cake and have it; the creatures are to be one with Him, but yet themselves; merely to cancel them, or assimilate them, will not serve. He is prepared to do a little overriding at the beginning. He will set them off with communications of His presence which, though faint, seem great to them, with emotional sweetness, and easy conquest over temptation. But he never allows this state of affairs to last long. Sooner or later He withdraws, if not in fact, at least from their conscious experience, all those supports and incentives. He leaves the creature to stand up on its on legs-to carry out from the will alone duties which have lost relish. It is during such trough periods, much more than during the peak periods, that it is growing into the sort of creature He wants it to be. Hence the prayers offered in the state of dryness are those which please Him best....if only the will to walk is really there He is pleased even with their stumbles. Do not be deceived, Wormwood. Our cause is never more in danger when when a human, no longer desiring, but still intending, to do our Enemy's will, looks round upon a universe from which every trace of Him seems to have vanished, and asks why he has been forsaken, and STILL OBEYS.