by Jeff Finley

Fraser Venter’s spiritual journey has included periods that seem like “incredible highs with God.” He has also experienced times when he felt spiritually low, but much of the journey has involved in-between spaces where he “felt like God was forming me, but I didn’t know what it meant.”

“My mind began to just talk through with the Lord: ‘What does this mean when I’m in these in-between spaces? Are You gone? Are You absent?’” recalled Venter, the author of the new book “Navigating Transitions: Embracing the Spiritual Journey” and the Free Methodist Church USA’s strategic catalyst for love-driven justice, in a conversation with Brett Heintzman on a new “The Light + Life Podcast” episode. “I know theologically He’s present, but I don’t sense Him or feel Him the same way.”

While earning his Doctor of Ministry degree, he decided to reflect more on these in-between spaces for the benefit of himself and “other believers as they enter those transitions.” His reflections led to his “motivation to actually help people put language to their heart and their experience.” This led to him writing the book that is especially relevant for fellow pastors and other Christians who have “walked along the journey with people in their faith. They hit that proverbial wall, and they’re not sure how to navigate it.

Inspired by David

Venter drew inspiration from the life of David in Scripture.

“Here’s a young boy who’s called to be king and has to steward that understanding in the midst of a mad king,” Venter said. “Here’s David sitting in basically a throne room experience leading worship — leading in a church experience — and the king decides, ‘I think I’d like to kill you today.’ That just doesn’t seem like a great place to be, but yet God uses that space to move David into a new understanding.”

He noted that David is relatable because he was not perfect.

“But God sure loves him, and we recognize his value and importance in the kingdom of God,” Venter said. “I chose him particularly because his journey describes these sacred spaces were God just meets you at each moment.”

Studying David’s story gave Venter “a language and insight for me to better understand both my spiritual formation and transformation. God, in His goodness and grace, was teaching me how to be formed slowly in this midst of living and leading in this space while revealing the importance of recognizing how normal this space would be all the days of my life,” he wrote in the book.

David experienced times where his spiritual desire seemed to fade. Venter said modern believers also may find themselves thinking: “Where did my spiritual passions go? All of a sudden, it just feels very dry. I read the Word. I pray. I go to worship. I’m in small group, [but] nothing is giving me the Holy Spirit goosebumps anymore. What happened?”

Growth Under Pressure

Times of shift in life may help shape us into who God wants us to be.

“I absolutely believe that God is using those opportunities for us to grow in ways we would never really grow without the pressure. If it was good enough for Jesus to be in Gethsemane, which we know is that wine press-pressing moment, then we have to recognize that is part of God’s goodness toward us,” Venter said.

In Psalm 23, “that ‘valley of the shadow of death’ is a really unique phrase if you think about it,” Venter said. “When you’re in that space, you don’t hear things the same. You don’t see things the same. You don’t realize things the same. But God is so very present, even if he’s on the outskirt of the outlines of that valley, He’s still speaking in. He’s still helping to guide us through.”

In times of anxiety and uncertainty, “the Holy Spirit moves in that space and agitates,” said Venter, who cautioned that he is not saying the Holy Spirit is causing panic attacks and other medical and psychological issues. “For the majority of us, there’s this space where it’s like, ‘God, I’m no longer in control of this. I no longer can do these things the same way. Can I trust that the next thing You have for me is actually good and better than what I’ve been doing previously?’”

While we may need to move to a new location, Venter said that we should not try to run from our problems.

“I feel like God shapes us through spaces in order that we can come back to that same space a different person with different wisdom, different knowledge, and that could be geographical or that could be time,” he said. “The goal would be: ‘Am I a different person back in that space?’”

He noted there may be some abusive spaces to which God would not want a person to return.

Pivotal Experience

He discussed a “really pivotal experience for me in a day away of prayer. I asked the question off the top of my head: ‘God, hey, how are we doing?’ There was just this significant Holy Spirit moment where I felt the Lord saying, ‘Fraser, I want you to always know I’m always doing great.’”

Venter reflected, “He’s always faithful. He’s always loving. He’s always forgiving. His character and nature are very consistent.”

After asking the initial question, he then asked, “God, how am I in light of who you are?”

Concerning his role as a husband, father, friend, and pastor, Venter realized that God “wasn’t as impressed as I am with my title. He was more impressed with my identity.” He heard God asking, “Fraser, where are you, and how are you doing in light of how you’re doing in these areas?”

He found he was able to discover things about himself if he could slow down enough to give God space to talk to him.

Click here to listen to the full podcast episode.

Click here to purchase Fraser Venter’s “Navigating Transitions: Embracing the Spiritual Journey” book or e-book.