The timing of each person’s spiritual journey is unique.  We may pray and ask for the same things, but our spiritual needs may take us through other aspects of the journey before the timing is right.

Recovering alcoholics have a lot of support at each stage.  The average Christian isn’t necessarily open to the same helps.  Jesus came to free sinners by sharing the Love of God with them.  Those that know they need the grace of that Love are more likely to embrace it and cling to it.  Those who are managing to live by the basic ten commandments may still feel they are earning that Love.  Sadly the “do nots” are not all that Jesus was about.  If unconsciously we are still trying to earn God’s Love we miss out not only on the joy, but the call of the Beatitudes which is a whole different ball game, but is the way to greater freedom and openness to the grace of joy. 

My Julian’s take on religion was that if your do right list is greater than your do wrong list, you get to heaven.  He only experienced that joy in the last year of his life when he was fighting cancer and could no longer do the things he thought he needed to do.  Unconditional love has no pride in it. It’s pure grace.  And it’s part of the journey along with using our gifts to help others. Our talents and strengths are gifts from God.  We didn’t earn them and some of us are not born with the inner drive and confidence to use them…..whether for all others or even mostly ourselves and family.  Some of us need the constant grace of the Love of God.  We lack the gift of focus and perseverance.  You can see the difference early in children. Some need the grace of God much sooner than others. The older strong and dutiful brother of the prodigal son didn’t know he needed the grace of humility that frees us to love the unlovable like Jesus did. And that’s the unlovable in both ourselves and others.  At some point our journey will take us to the “without one plea” point of openness to the Amazing Grace of God’s unconditional Love fleshed out in Jesus.  Many Of the Saints reached it pretty early in their journeys, because they were not naturally good, or focused or persevering.