“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Mathew 11:28-30 MSG
As I encountered this passage in Matthew, it felt like an invitation too good to be true. I struggled to make the connection between a life of rest with Jesus and my hurried, hands full, exhausted life that had become the normal. As I began to recognize my desire for a deeper, slower and more graceful way of living, I began to ask the question, ‘What would happen if I tried to hold space for a more thoughtful way to live?’ Could it even be possible?
This was how I came to discover the gifts of spiritual direction. Spiritual direction provides a place to tune your attention to the whispers of the heart and the movements of God in your daily experiences.
Parker Palmer explains that, “The soul is like a wild animal—tough, resilient, savvy, self-sufficient and yet exceedingly shy. If we want to see a wild animal, the last thing we should do is to go crashing through the woods, shouting for the creature to come out. But if we are willing to walk quietly into the woods and sit silently for an hour or two at the base of a tree, the creature we are waiting for may well emerge - and we will catch a glimpse of the precious wildness we seek.”
In spiritual direction you are invited to “walk quietly into the woods and sit silently” until your soul begins to reveal itself once again. The focus of spiritual direction comes from a desire to know yourself and God more fully. What I have observed while meeting with others is that we all have questions and are seeking to find God in the middle of our confusion. We are looking to rediscover the things that bring purpose and meaning to our life and answer the questions: ‘Who am I and who is God inviting me to become?”
A spiritual director is someone who has been trained in compassionate listening, discernment practices and has a heart for others to experience the peace and transforming love of God. As we look to Jesus, let’s remember His invitation, “Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest…Learn the unforced rhythms of grace…Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” Matthew 11:28-30. If you are desiring deeper connection to your personal journey, looking to experience true rest and grow in your awareness of God’s loving presence in your life, then I’d encourage your to reach out to a spiritual director and take a seat at the tree in the woods. See what you may discover.
