Words and Spirituality in a Moment of Grace
Dear Reader,
I had an experience today that I’m still trying to fully understand. I was in church, and everything around me felt normal—just another quiet Sunday. The service began with the hymn “Lead, Kindly Light.”
During the second stanza, I was suddenly overcome by two powerful emotions: sadness and joy. I felt them simultaneously, and the power in their mingling brought me to tears.
Here is the stanza that stirred me:
"I was not ever thus, nor pray'd that thou shouldst lead me on.
I loved to choose and see my path; but now, lead thou me on!
I loved the garish day, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will. Remember not past years."
Then came the third stanza, which completely overwhelmed me:
"So long thy pow’r hath blest me, sure it still
Will lead me on
O’er moor and fen, o’er crag and torrent, till
The night is gone.
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile."
You may call me crazy, but in the span of this one song, I felt something deep inside me shift. Hidden weight from my past—pride, fear, self-centeredness—seemed to dissolve. In its place came a radiant light—not one I saw with my eyes, but one I felt with my inner soul. It was as if grace moved through the lyrics, healing events in the past and revealing a path forward: open, cleared, and gently guided.
In recovery, we often say:
"God is doing for us what we could not do for ourselves."
— Alcoholics Anonymous, p. 84
That phrase rang true today in a personal and undeniable way. Below are a few spiritual words that reflect the heart of what I experienced:
Spiritual Reflections
“God does not want something from us. He simply wants us.”
— C. S. Lewis
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
— Psalm 51:10
“Old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”
— 2 Corinthians 5:17
“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye feel to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”
— Alma 5:26 (Book of Mormon)
“I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left… and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.”
— Doctrine and Covenants 84:88
“The Savior’s healing can be as individual as our needs. He came to restore, to make whole, and to strengthen.”
— Elder Patrick Kearon
“Conversion is a process, not an event. It comes line upon line, precept upon precept.”
— Elder David A. Bednar
“Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which a godly life is built.”
— President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Closing Reflection
Sometimes, the smallest cracks in the routine allow the brightest light to shine through. A hymn you’ve heard a hundred times before suddenly becomes a doorway. You don’t plan these moments. They arrive, unannounced, when the soul is ready. I don’t claim to understand all that happened today—but I do know I walked out of church lighter than I walked in. And that is more than enough.
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