You meet those who gladly do right,
    those who remember you in your ways.
But you were angry, and we sinned;
    because you hid yourself we transgressed.
We have all become like one who is unclean,
    and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth.
We all fade like a leaf,
    and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
There is no one who calls on your name,
    or attempts to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
    and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father;
    we are the clay, and you are our potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.
Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord,
    and do not remember iniquity forever.
    Now consider, we are all your people.  Isaiah 64:5-9

Joy in the absence of feeling God’s presence can be challenging.  But we must trust. We must be obedient.  We must persevere.  In this scripture, though Isaiah is feeling abandoned, he remains faithful to God and pleads for Him to show himself again.  He likens himself and his people to clay in the potter’s hand, ready, to be molded and formed.  In times like this, we are to be aware, be fit and be ready.

Be aware of the inner workings of our hearts.  Listen deeply for the longings we have and what they are telling us about ourselves.  Be aware of the needs around us.  An awareness of the longings of others is essential as we are all connected and called together in some way.

Be fit.  We must continue to act on the knowledge of God even when the feeling of His presence is missing.  Be loving and do loving acts.  Continue to seek God and understanding.  Stay in the practice of your faith.

Be ready.  He will not leave you in suspense forever.  When the work of His hand begins to unfold, and His purpose is more and more evident, be ready to do that which His hands so lovingly molded you to do.

Above all, trust in the slow work of God. Give Our Lord the benefit of believing that his hand is leading you. And accept the anxiety of feeling yourself in suspense and incomplete.  Pierre Teilhard de Chardin