Imagine that you are walking along
and there is a rare bird flying nearby.
Perhaps you notice the bird, and wonder "Why is this bird here, what it is doing? Why, of all times, is it present now?
And perhaps you ponder that until some possibilities emerge.
Or perhaps you've grown used to the bird, see it so often that it hardly seems out of place, hardly worth noticing at all.
Or maybe you are so busy, you never see it at all. The weight of the world pressing on may have your head bowed, so you never even look up.
But what if you had a companion on the way, someone who listened to your story, really listened,
and as you walked, this companion would gently invite you to look up, to see if you could see this rare bird.
And then just as gently, invite you to ponder the questions that emerge -- even about the ordinary and everyday that hardly seem worth noticing.
This is one way I understand spiritual direction.
You live your life, you walk your walk. Sometimes you see the Holy One at work and wonder why,
or you see events in the world and wonder why you do not.
And sometimes "there is just this little thing, nothing special." Except for some reason it is special to you. And now you can talk about it, as long as you want.
When we meet, usually for about an hour, the time is all yours. We talk about what you want to talk about, and what your thoughts lead us to talk about.
There is no judgment about what you believe or what you don't, or the questions or doubts you may have.
Unlike counseling, which is valuable in its own right, we aren't trying to solve problems. We seek only to be present to you and to the other One in the room.
Perhaps you notice the bird, and wonder "Why is this bird here, what it is doing? Why, of all times, is it present now?
And perhaps you ponder that until some possibilities emerge.
Or perhaps you've grown used to the bird, see it so often that it hardly seems out of place, hardly worth noticing at all.
Or maybe you are so busy, you never see it at all. The weight of the world pressing on may have your head bowed, so you never even look up.
But what if you had a companion on the way, someone who listened to your story, really listened,
and as you walked, this companion would gently invite you to look up, to see if you could see this rare bird.
And then just as gently, invite you to ponder the questions that emerge -- even about the ordinary and everyday that hardly seem worth noticing.
This is one way I understand spiritual direction.
You live your life, you walk your walk. Sometimes you see the Holy One at work and wonder why,
or you see events in the world and wonder why you do not.
And sometimes "there is just this little thing, nothing special." Except for some reason it is special to you. And now you can talk about it, as long as you want.
When we meet, usually for about an hour, the time is all yours. We talk about what you want to talk about, and what your thoughts lead us to talk about.
There is no judgment about what you believe or what you don't, or the questions or doubts you may have.
Unlike counseling, which is valuable in its own right, we aren't trying to solve problems. We seek only to be present to you and to the other One in the room.
