“To listen to another’s soul into a condition of disclosure and discovery may be almost the greatest service that any human being ever performs for another….one can listen someone into existence.” Douglas Steere
“Oh the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person; having neither to weigh thought nor measure words, but to pour them all out, just as they are, chaff and grain together, knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.” Dinah Craik
After almost 40 years of following Christ, there was a need and hunger for more. For what, I could not name. I wanted something other than nourishing words, sacrament, service. I wanted to be Heard. Touched. Known. Deeper than performance or persona. What I longed for was a safe space to explore my longings and expose my tears without judgement. And to be comforted, even delighted in, much like my newborn granddaughter is in the care of her mother.
Spiritually, I had come a great distance yet still far from home. I felt like one of the strangers standing before Abraham passing on their journey. Would someone stop what they were doing and invite me to wash my feet and rest under their tree?
That “someone” came to me in the form of spiritual direction and the teachers at the School of Sustainable Faith. I have found spiritual direction to be a place of total acceptance in an atmosphere of hospitality, helping me to feel loved and heard, ultimately healed. A place where I am comfortable expressing my most authentic self in a non-judgmental way. This is truly a graced way of serving another believer, being a companion on the journey!
People trained in offering spiritual direction do not fix, advise or direct. They create a warm, welcoming presence which greets the whole person, trusting the Holy Spirit as the true “director”, leading the “directee” into greater self-awareness and God awareness. They listen for resistances and roadblocks, helping people come to breakthroughs in their relationship with God.
I can truly say this listening ministry has transformed my life 😊 My experience and view of God have expanded in ways I only thought possible in heaven! I want each of you to experience this joy here on earth. If you are feeling guided in this way, I encourage you to learn more about spiritual direction and Sustainable Faith.
