Spiritual Direction

A spiritual director asks:

"Where do you sense God in that?"

"How is God drawing you out in that situation?"

"My husband is the one who started to notice subtle changes in me.  Something was happening in the periods between my spiritual direction sessions.  God was somehow, subtly, slowly, and in the most ordinary of ways forming my heart and mind through these very questions that I found so irritating.  It finally began to dawn on me that these were exactly the questions I want to live my life by.  These are the questions that pull me out of my narcissistic world and into the greater world for which God has created me.

"Something broken in me keeps telling me if I just work harder, read more Scripture, and become a better pray-er, God will be pleased and perhaps my life will be easier.  This misconception and myriad of other false beliefs that not-so-occasionally reek havoc in my body and brain are called into the light when I seek spiritual direction.  I notice God at work in places I hadn't considered and in ways I hadn't imagined.

"Meeting with a spiritual director has reminded me of the deepest realities I know, and yet, the ones I so quickly forget:  Namely that God is already at work here in my life and in this world; and that God is the initiator of all healing, redemption, wholeness, conviction, abundance; and I am the one who is invited to respond, and to partner."
--Beth Slevcove as quoted in Tony Jones' book, "The Sacred Way

Spiritual Direction is not something us Methodists talk about much...  But you'll be hearing a lot about it this month!  We're even having a Spiritual Director come to lead us in worship on May 23rd, to help us understand what this is. 

I think it could be something wonderful that some of us find immensely helpful as we journey on this road of faith....  Stay tuned for more insight!

But for now...  Think of a situation you are struggling with...  Where do you sense God in that?