The dog straightens up. The hunter edges near. His boots seep in halfway. It's hard to walk without making that sucking sound with each sticky step. He carries a heavy shotgun too. The brush blocks his view from anything but the leafy foliage in front of his face, and the early morning sky up over the swamp. He sees nothing. He hears nothing. The hunter simply waits for the sudden panic, and a rush of wings. He raises his gun to his shoulder instinctively and WHAM!
Most ducks are shot right out of the air.
When you are tempted with desolation, St. Ignatius says you should NEVER, EVER change those spiritual decisions you've taken beforehand.
Here's an Example:
You pray daily 30 minutes before going to sleep. Today you feel totally dry; you doubt God even listens; you are tempted to not even pray because: "He probably won't answer your prayers anyway." "He hasn't EVER heard your prayers." "In fact, the last time you heard God's voice in prayer that was probably just your imagination." "God won't ever listen to you again." "This is a pure waste of time."
And the lies and temptations from the devil extend not only to your present condition, but back into the past, offering a re-interpretation of past graces, and a future promise that you will never again be close to God. The temptations are not just feelings, but they pertain to your 1. life of grace, and your 2. pursuit of God's will (Sunset).
In such a situation, we are NOT to change our daily prayer routine, but we are to disregard these 1. attacks together with the 2. feelings that accompany them and the 3. thoughts that they lead us to. (Voices of Air)
When you sit there quietly and hear the hunter's squishy footsteps approaching, then don't act like a DUCK! Rather, act like a rabbit, and stay put! Remain firm in the spiritual decisions you have made before, and persevere in the difficulties you are undergoing.
Chances are you won't get shot!
Eerily relevant in my life right now. Thank you.
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