Spiritual Formation
Attention along the Way
by
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A Memory
Memories at my point in life can bring peals of laughter or tears of painful reminders. Memory is valuable for us all. There is even an app to improve memory for older folks like me.
Today was full of activity, but some of the day lent itself to remembering. I recalled the first time it began to sink into my soul that God truly loved me. That memory is etched on my soul, and I recall the time and place that awareness filled my soul with the joy of knowing God loves me. It is amazing how that experience was so different from knowledge. I knew the verses, and I had heard the testimonies, but I had not embraced God’s love so freely given. Why? I am uncertain. Psychology, sociology, biology, and other disciplines have suggestions, but as much as they are pertinent and concepts cannot be discounted, the fact remains that I did not see God as loving unconditionally. Somehow, my heart had not connected with my head, even though I could recite, “I know God loves me because the Bible told me so.”
Embracing God’s love did not change any circumstances, but it changed me and the course of my life. Receiving unconditional love has a way of doing that. That memory—that moment that is worth more than a gold medal or any other award—is a treasure still freely given and received every day. I am loved, and it has made a difference. What a memory!
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About the Book
Eldon writes about experiences from daily life that helped shape his spiritual life. He writes with the hope that sharing his insights will help the readers engage in an attentiveness to their spiritual formation.
About the Author
Eldon E. Fry designed a Christian spiritual formation model for Messiah University, where he served as college pastor and an adjunct in family life studies and the graduate school for counseling. He served as manager of pastoral care for an international ministry and pastored three congregations. He is a certified spiritual director and has taught as an adjunct at Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary; he currently mentors seminarians. He serves as faculty at Kairos School for Spiritual Formation and is the founder of Open Hands, a nonprofit providing spiritual direction. He is also the author of Growing Up Idaho and Spiritual Formation: Attention Along the Way. He lives with his wife, Ginger, near Mt. Holly Springs, Pennsylvania. They have two children and six grandchildren.