Dark Night of Loving Fire Brings Peace and Rest

I'm going through a simple devotional book that I've recently discovered entitled Daily Office, Remembering God's Presence Throughout the Day by Peter Scazzero.

Here is a quote from Week 4 of this book that I trust will encourage you; the theme of Week 4 is "The Wall" which refers to times of great difficulty:

"The best way to understand the dynamics of the Wall is to examine the classic work of St. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, written over 500 years ago. He described the journey in three phases: beginners, progressives, and perfect. To move out of the beginning stage, he argued, required the receiving of God's gift of the dark night...This is the 'ordinary way' we grow in Christ.

"It is God's way of rewiring and 'purging our affections and passions' that we might delight in his love and enter into a richer, fuller communion with him. God wants to communicate to us his true sweetness and love. He longs that we might know his true peace and rest. He works to free us from unhealthy attachments and idolatries of the world.

"For this reason John of the Cross wrote that God sends us 'the dark night of loving fire' to free us from such deadly imperfections as: pride (being judgmental and impatient with the faults of others), avarice (suffering discontentment), luxury (taking more pleasure in spiritual blessings than God himself), wrath (becoming easily irritated, impatient), spiritual gluttony (resisting the cross), spiritual envy (always comparing), and sloth (running from what is hard)."

The prayer at the end of the reading:
"Lord, I invite you this day to cut any unhealthy attachments or 'idols' out of me. You promise in Psalm 32 to teach me the way to go. Help me not be stubborn like a mule but rather to be cooperative as you seek to lead me to freedom. Lead me to a place of communion with you where true peace and rest is found..."