​Spiritual Direction

Perhaps the defining aspect of my spirituality, and consequently, of my spiritual care is the understanding of the spiritual life as a journey. God is a God of process who companions with us in our journeys of becoming the people we were created to be. This process-orientation makes room for life to be messy, unexpected, complex, and adventurous. It also makes room for us to be more aware of God with us on the journey, wherever we are, working in and among us in our ordinary lives.

 

This is such a hopeful word that it is easy to live it out in my spiritual care practice. In many ways, my understanding of spiritual care can be summed up as companioning with others to explore and notice the ways that God is at work in the situations they’re in – to honour the journey by acknowledging the truth of it, as well as the hope of it. Life is messy, and that can be painful, scary, mysterious, exhilarating, hopeful, or any combination of these. My own experience of loss and grief is summed up by three unexpected words, which I have seen reflected time and time again as I’ve companioned with others. Those words are terrible, beautiful, and holy, and together they encompass the mystery of what it is to be human. To make space for each of these things in our journey is to be authentically human.