To be in a spiritual wilderness is itself a powerful experience, and those who are willing seek to come to terms with that experience have massive steps to take. I’ve felt this wilderness for some time now, and I know you have, too. So many of us have felt the pain of betrayal, loss, and self-doubt in this past year alone. Now, in this time where many of us are transitioning, deciding how to see anew moving forward, how to start fresh in the practice of awareness, is something I think will make or break our world as we enter it. The beauty in the purification and emptying of self---this alone is a most satisfying and connecting way of prayer and meditation. It can start simple: sit and watch a bird, or some light at your favorite time of day. Listen to the quiet, or the noise, in your house, and fix on what makes it good. Let go some of your expectations and then note how this feels to you. Talk out loud, in any way you like or need, to the One who Created you. Emptying your self can seem painful initially, but truly, creating space for our encounter with God is everything. We can easily clutter our minds and our spaces—there’s so much to contend with, so remember it won’t happen all at once. Just clear out one little space at a time.