How to Cure Being Homesick for God

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Reflections

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Posted On November 8, 2024

Experience Divine Presence

When I look back at my preschool days, I remember the surge of fear and helplessness that swallowed me as my mom would leave me at school. I’d cling to her, fighting back tears, dreading the hours apart. A desperate ache grabbed in my gut. I longed for the comfort and safety of my parents. I was homesick.

What I didn’t understand back then was that I was experiencing separation anxiety—the fear that comes with leaving the comfort and safety of a loved one.

According to a Cleveland Clinic Study, one out of fifty adults continue to struggle with separation anxiety beyond childhood. The fear of separation creates a void within us, a longing. We feel as if we’re missing something or someone essential for our well-being.

Homesick for God

We might not recognize it or name it as such, but many of us experience being homesick for God.

Being homesick for God feels like an ache in the soul, a longing for something vast and sacred that we can’t quite name but know deeply.

It’s like carrying a quiet emptiness inside, a sense that something essential is missing. This homesickness often comes with a yearning for stillness, a craving to feel enveloped in peace, and a love that transcends all other loves—a love that speaks to the truest part of us.

To be homesick for God is to feel a pull toward a reality greater than the one we see day-to-day. It’s the experience of wanting to be wrapped in the presence of the Divine, where we feel safe, whole, and truly seen.

It can be an ache for meaning, connection, or a return to that sacred ground within ourselves where we know we belong to something larger than us, something timeless and unchanging.
This homesickness reminds us that the world’s pleasures and distractions will never fully satisfy us; it points us toward a deeper communion, peace, and joy that no material thing can provide.

It’s a call back to our soul’s origin, to the One who created us, inviting us to rest in the divine embrace and rediscover our truest selves.

It reminds us that our true Home is in God.

A Short Story

For thirty years, I’ve practiced daily meditation. In those quiet moments, I feel the Creator’s presence, soft yet unmistakable, whispering peace into my heart, wrapping me in warmth and reassurance.

But too often, as I rise from my morning meditation to meet the demands of the day, a knot forms in my stomach—a quiet, reluctant sigh stirs within my heart.

A part of me resists leaving my inner sanctuary for the clamor of the world. It’s as if the child within me dreads feeling separated from God’s embrace. I want to stay nestled in the divine warmth, held by stillness, sipping hot coffee beside a flickering candle, wrapped in a cozy blanket.

When that familiar homesick feeling rises—the ache of leaving behind that deep connection—I chuckle and whisper to the Creator, “Do I really have to go out into the world today?”

The Cure for Homesickness: Divine Presence

I recently realized that my homesick feeling—that ache of separation from God—comes from a mistaken belief that God is “out there”—a distant being watching from afar, removed from our daily lives. In clinging to this idea, I had unintentionally created a sense of separation, a longing for a connection that seemed fragile, only accessible in certain moments or places.

Don, my mentor, reminded me that God is love, not an external being to seek “out there.” God is within us, always present in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, alive in every moment. This divine love permeates our being, guiding, nurturing, and supporting us from within. Embracing this truth, we recognize that God’s love is our essence, connecting us to the sacred within ourselves and all creation.

“The cure for feeling separated from God,” Don said, “is to focus on Divine Presence.”

Divine Presence is an intimate awareness of God’s love, wisdom, and guidance, accessible within and around us.

We encounter this presence in a friend’s comforting hug, in the joyful laugh of a child, and in the peaceful silence of dawn. We feel it in the warmth of sunlight streaming through a window, the gentle sway of trees in the wind, and the steady rhythm of our breath. Whenever we open ourselves to beauty, kindness, and gratitude, we touch the Divine Presence.

With this shift in perspective, my journey has moved from searching for God “out there” to sensing God “in here”—within myself, in the world around me, and in the simple acts of love and wonder woven throughout each day. Now, instead of fearing separation, I experience God’s Divine Presence as always with me, even in life’s harshness, whenever I notice love, beauty, or peace.

Oneing with God

Julian of Norwich, a 14th-century Christian mystic, described this deep, inseparable union with God as “Oneing”—a profound oneness where the human soul and God are joined in love.

This Oneing is not simply about being close to God; it’s about embodying an inseparable presence within us, a realization that we are continually connected to Divine love.

As Jesus expressed in John 14:20, “I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

This awareness of Divine Presence, though universally accessible, is unique to each of us and comes in countless ways. My spiritual direction clients describe their experiences of God’s presence in various ways.

Some people feel a warm, peaceful sensation in their hearts, while others experience a gentle stillness embracing them. Some people hear an inner voice of love guiding them.

Many people sense God’s nearness in nature, in the sight of trees swaying in the wind or in the constancy of waves on the shore.

Some feel a gentle flow of energy within, a vibrancy in their bodies as they open to Divine Presence.

These moments are not random; they are unique invitations for each of us to experience God more fully, reminding us of our oneness with the Divine and drawing us toward the peace that surpasses understanding.

How to Notice God’s Divine Presence

So, how can we cultivate this awareness of Divine Presence? How can we experience a deeper Oneing with God?

The answer lies in adopting a few simple spiritual practices that tune the heart to see, hear, and feel God’s presence within ourselves, others, and all creation. The following practices strengthen our souls, creating space for God’s Presence to naturally reveal itself through the eyes of our hearts:

Quiet Time and Meditation

Setting aside regular time for stillness helps us tune into God’s presence within.

Contemplative Prayer

Practices like centering prayer, lectio divina, and breath prayers quiet our minds and draw us into communion with God, inviting us into an experience beyond words.

Spiritual Reading

Reflecting on sacred texts or spiritual writings nourishes our souls, opening us to God’s wisdom and guidance.

Mindful Living

Bringing awareness to the present moment, whether in nature or daily tasks, lets us recognize God in all things.

Community

Connecting with others on the spiritual path, such as spiritual directors or spiritual friends, or engaging in acts of service let us experience God’s love flowing through relationships.

I Am In God and God Is in Me

To live with the awareness that, as the 14th-century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart proclaimed, “I am in God, and God is in me,” is to embrace the unity of Divine Presence within our bodies, minds, and spirits.

This truth grounds us in the reality that we are always held within God’s love and carry Divine Presence within us.

Just as children overcome separation anxiety by realizing their parent’s love is always with them even when apart, we can release our own spiritual separation anxiety by recognizing that God is not “out there” or distant. God is within us and all around us—always available, always present.

This profound union is what Julian of Norwich called “Oneing,” a state of oneness where the human soul and God are inseparably joined in love.

When we rest in this truth, our lives become filled with the peace and wholeness that arise from experiencing Oneing with Divine Presence. We see ourselves, others, and the world through the compassionate eyes of Christ.

So, what about you? Do you experience God’s Divine Presence in your life? If so, how? I’d love to hear about your journey and how you notice this sacred connection in your daily life. Where and how do you see and experience God? Shoot me an email with your story.

—brian j plachta
brianplachta.com

Tools for Your Spiritual Toolbox

Where’s God? – A Spiritual Treasure Hunt

Here’s a fun way to increase your awareness of Divine Presence! Think of it like Where’s Waldo?—those picture books where you search in a busy scene for the cartoon character Waldo.

In this practice, wherever you go, keep asking, “Where’s God?” Look for love, kindness, or beauty, and watch as signs of the Divine Presence appear right before you.

How to Practice “Where’s God?”

Set Your Intention – Start the day with this intention: “Today, I’ll look for God wherever there’s love or beauty.”

Spot the Signs – Throughout the day, notice glimpses of love, joy, and beauty—a friendly smile, a shared laugh, a stunning sky, or a child’s giggle. Each is a little glimpse of God.

Pause to Savor – When you see these moments, pause and let them fill you. Feel the love, beauty, or kindness as a reminder of God’s presence within and around you. Receive it with gratitude.

End the Day with Thanks – Before bed, recall a few moments when you sensed God’s presence. Reflect on each one and give thanks.

The more you practice “Where’s God?” the more you’ll see God’s Divine Presence is constant—you’ll start to notice Divine Presence all around, a loving embrace woven into the fabric of every moment.

Enjoy the treasure hunt!

PS–Get into the Divine Flow by picking up a copy of my latest book, Finding Flow–Spiritual Practices to Reclaim Inner Peace, Balance, and Wholeness.

Click here for a 3-minute video about Finding Flow

Get your copy of Finding Flow in paperback or digital format on Amazon:

Click Here to Get Your Finding Flow Book

Pay It Forward!

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Written by Brian J. Plachta

Following the Breadcrumbs God Leaves Along Our Path

What if God is speaking through ordinary moments more often than we realize?

A conversation that stays with us. A door that closes. A quiet nudge we can’t quite explain. An unexpected invitation that seems to come at just the right time.

The challenge is learning to notice these moments before we have any idea where they’re leading, and trusting the next step.

Over time, we may begin to see that God’s guidance doesn’t always come as an answer. Sometimes, it comes as a trail.

What to Do When God Seems Silent

Has silence ever made you feel like God is far away? When we feel this way, it’s easy to start looking for answers or waiting for a clear sign. But prayer can also be as simple as slowing down and noticing what’s already here. The breeze. The waves. Your breath. The quiet. God’s presence doesn’t always come through words. Sometimes we just need to be still enough to notice.

Let God Alone Define You

Ever have someone’s words get stuck in your head?
Maybe they criticized you, misunderstood you, or told a story about you that doesn’t feel true. And before long, you’re holding a courtroom in your mind—defending yourself, replaying the conversation, wondering if maybe they’re right.

There’s another way.

Bring it into the quiet with God.

Ask: Is there something here I need to learn? Is there something I need to own? And what was never mine to carry in the first place?

We can stay humble enough to receive the truth without letting someone else’s opinion become our identity.

Because in the end, God alone defines you.

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