Why is my Faith Shakier than Ever? Q&A with the Author

“I’ve been on a spiritual path for decades. Why is my faith sometimes shakier than ever?”

This is one of the first questions that was posed to me at my new Q&A with the Author at Facebook Live. (The first, also posted, was “How can I stop worrying so much about the future?” )

In response, I told a favorite story of mine I first heard from a friend many years ago. An old woman was taking a walk along a mountain path. The drop off was steep but she had walked this way many times before without mishap. This time, however, a loose rock slipped out from beneath her foot, taking her with it over the edge.

Thinking quickly, she grabbed onto the limb of a tree as she went, suspended in mid-air. Then she felt it begin to crack.

This woman is used to turning to God for help, and felt that this was a particularly good time.

“God, are you up there?”

“Yes, my daughter,” God replied. “What can I do for you?”

“God, help me. Tell me what to do!”

The branch cracked a bit more. Desperate, she cried out again.

“Yes, God. Tell me!” There was a moment’s silence then God answered her.

“Let go of the branch.”

“Let go of the branch?”

“Yes, my daughter. Let go of the branch.”

There was another moment’s silence, and then the old woman spoke.

“Is there anybody else up there?”

If you’d like to view my talk on this, click HERE. And while you’re on my Facebook page, Follow me for more.

 


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About Carol Orsborn

Carol Orsborn, Ph.D. has written over 30 books including her critically-acclaimed Older, Wiser, Fiercer: The Wisdom Collection and The Spirituality of Age: A Seeker’s Guide to Growing Older with Dr. Robert L. Weber, which was awarded Gold in the Nautilus Book Awards in the category of Aging Consciously. She is founder and curator of Fierce with Age: The Archives of Boomer Wisdom, Inspiration and Spirituality housed at CarolOrsborn.com. She is host of the 2 leading book clubs in the field of conscious aging: Sage-ing International's live, virtual The Sage-ing Book Club and the in-person Conscious Aging Book Club, sponsored by Parnassus Books, Nashville. She received her doctorate in the History and Critical Theory of Religion from Vanderbilt University with specialization in the areas of adult spiritual development and ritual studies.