What is Spiritual Direction?
I can vividly remember my very first session of spiritual direction. I had no idea what to expect nor did I have much of an idea what to share. We sat down and spent a few moments in silence. It was a bit awkward at first. Then, I was asked “so, what is stirring in your heart?” Before long, and without intending to, I was talking about some of my deepest fears and anxieties, which I could now see in a brand new way. After that session, I knew this was something I needed in my life. It is the reason I became a spiritual director.
Spiritual direction has been a wellspring of life for me as I’ve journeyed through various seasons of life. Seasons of grief and loss. Seasons of confusion and transition. Seasons of joy and creativity. Yet, it is often an unknown practice. Hopefully, this post helps shed a little more light on the nature of spiritual direction and contemplation.
Spiritual direction is offered to help a person see the sacred in the midst of their seemingly ordinary life. It rests on the belief that God is always present and always calling. A spiritual director seeks to help one grow in awareness of the all encompassing presence of God, and further, to discern what living from this awareness might practically look like whether you’re changing diapers, filling up your gas tank, or sitting in the doctor’s office anxiously awaiting test results.
Contemplation, then, is the practice of the presence of God.
It often involves silence, solitude, and stillness. It is a space where we are able to disconnect from the chaotic noise and hurry of our world constantly desensitizing us to the voice of God.
It is not an attaining or achieving. It is an allowing. It is cooperating with the gracious movement of God quietly stirring within us. Our role in this is to simply, and profoundly, allow it to happen with as little resistance as possible.
Spiritual direction and contemplation help us listen to our life. Because, as Paula D’Arcy says, “God comes disguised to us as our life.” And as Jesus said, “those who have eyes to see let them see.” As we come into the presence of God, we gradually begin to see as God sees. We see ourselves as God sees us— fully loved and thoroughly delighted in. Likewise, we begin to see our neighbors, our enemies, and even the stars in the sky through the loving eyes of God.
This way of seeing is a gift. It is a gift that is always being given… and sometimes we are able to receive it. God’s invitation in this very moment is to draw near, see as God sees, and love as God loves. This is ultimately how we are transformed, healed, and set free.
— Cody Hardley
