It's amazing how many have not discovered the benefit of spiritual direction for themselves. It is no big secret that many folks, and many of them whom you would not imagine, resist the idea of meeting with a spiritual director on a regular basis.
I have had good friends in religious life who have sneered at spiritual direction saying in all their years they never went. To a trained director it becomes obvious how life could have been richer for that person if they had sought out spiritual direction in earlier years. A real transformation occurs which is gentle but profound.
Sitting with clients over the years has given me a first hand view and experience of the benefits a person gets from these sessions. To me is is like watching a flower bloom, specifically a peony bush. One thing I know about peonies is that they need ants to help them bloom. Spiritual direction is sort of like that with such a gently, welcoming atmosphere that invites a safe and trusting place to talk.
To have a person journey with us in spiritual direction has often been described by Margaret Guenther, a well-known spiritual director, as like a mid-wife. A mid-wife simply assists the birthing process...just letting nature take its course.
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Through many challenges of my own over the years I know personally that with spiritual direction I have become a better, introspective, more compassionate individual. Without it I simply reacted to life and became a victim in it. Now, I see a gift in most of life with gratitude being a main focus. Life is much brighter and enjoyable because of spiritual direction.
If you would like to try spiritual direction for yourself, I can be reached at 920.793.3530 for an appointment.
Several of you have mentioned missing my posts lately. Yes, the summer was sparse hearing from me on my official posts from Third Chair Spiritual Direction. You might say I took the summer off from posting anything official. I shared about our new member of the family, Carmel, a mackeral design ginger kitty. She is a love and draped across my arm as I write this. Opening my computer, however, seemed like a big, bad boogy man to do the posts.
These months have given me pause as life continued to happen around me. Lots of family stuff, lots of funerals for friends and acquaintances who died, and there is the daily "dust" that never goes away. I was just saying to my husband that bills are "like dust...they just keep coming back month after month!"
Lately I have pulled out of our bank that we have been members of for over forty years. Nothing is a straight line...return visits, checking monthly statements and making sure the new accounts have the money in them before writing bills. Some days bring a real headache with lots of energy.
At first dealing with lots of details all seemed very overwhelming but reflecting back and using my mantra, "One day at a time," these tasks weren't as bad as I was afraid they would be. Isn't life like that all the way around?
Thoughts in our mind can make mountains out of molehills just like a halloween boogy man. When we bring situations to light with a contemplative pause, assistance from others and even prayer, life isn't as scary as we sometimes make it!
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Summer is over! Now is a wonderful time to treat yourself to a session or more of spiritual direction. I am taking appointments at this time. Contact me at: 920.793.3530.
