“At first glance (and even at second glance) a call to plod can sound less than inspiring. . . . But if we were to peel back history . . . we might have more appreciation for this unglamorous gift of plod.”- Alicia Britt Chole
In Chapter 24 (“The Unglamorous Gift”) of The Night is Normal, Alicia Britt Chole presents the last tool to help us navigate disillusionment with God.
9. When disillusioned with God, plod on. In the midst of spiritual pain, Dr. Chole exhorts, keep moving upward. And commit to the upward pull of God’s love. As a result, we learn to appreciate the unglamorous gift of plod.
In addition, Dr. Chole describes spiritual plodding as about:
- moving forward, not by leaps and bounds over tall buildings, but by choices and tears through pain-filled nights.
- leaning Godward even when we feel like we are standing still or falling backward.
- commitment (a worthy synonym).
Moving on to Chapter 25 (“The Other Side”), Dr. Chole encourages you to plod on toward God’s love for you and your love for Him. Because you and your faith are irreplaceable.
Most significantly, when entering deep nights two paths stand before us. One path defies gravity, moving upward toward love. However, the second path surrenders to gravity and bails. Furthermore, ending in a period or a comma separates the two paths.
If a period concludes our path, we opt to draw the pain more deeply into our soul. Hence, we turn our backs on the God who disappointed us. Then we walk away and bail.
But when a comma follows honesty about our pain, we echo the words of Simon Peter (John 6:68, NIV): “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
In conclusion, Dr. Chole underscores:
“What God does in such souls is extraordinary. There is a quality among those who choose this way of love that, though hard to quantify, is unmistakable. A scent of heaven mingling with the tears of earth; a richness of character that can neither be feigned or fabricated.”
Today’s question: How do you describe your unglamorous gift of plod? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Temptation to bail – frustration”