This journal entry bloomed from a comment on Ruth Abrams's post Meaningful Spiritual Practices and New Translation of Psalms. I said:
[...]I feel spiritual when I pray, when I study Torah, and when I make connections with Jews and those converting to Judaism. Talking about religion and what speaks to me as a Jew-to-be makes me feel spiritual. I feel spiritual when the sun is shining bright and the birds are singing, or when I hear the thunder and see the lightning. I feel spiritual when I make food choices that are kosher. I feel spiritual when I contribute to charities, or help someone who is having a hard time. I feel spiritual when I stretch my muscles and breathe deeply.
I find spirituality to be an awareness of G-d, and I try to stay aware whenever I can.
I've found great spiritual purpose in Judaism. I was raised in a Christian environment, and though I sometimes felt a connection with G-d, it did not happen very often until I started exploring Judaism.
Suddenly, studying and asking questions became part of how I related to G-d! Although I read religious books before I found Judaism, it was more of an interesting sideline than anything else. Now, it is a spiritual practice. It makes me feel closer to the Divine to study history and customs, and the traditions I pick up along the way bring me closer to other Jews.
This post is part of my spiritual practice, too. Just by writing it, I am dealing with a part of myself that is spiritual, cracking it open and pouring it out. I am communicating with others who are interested in religion and how it effects family and individual life. That, in itself, is spiritual to me.
You do not have to go to any great lengths to feel spiritual. This post is not costing much, just a little bit of my time. And yet the act of writing brings me great joy and a feeling of closeness with other people. That is spiritual: not just a connection to G-d, but with my fellow human beings.
