I've been drawn to people's stories for as long as I can remember. That led me to pursue a degree in English for my undergrad and landed me in really fulfilling work in libraries. I learned to love helping people from all walks of life and experienced how deep questions and active listening supported others. And while I loved this work, I began to discern a calling to something new. 

 

Motivated to enter into a period of greater self-discovery, I enrolled in the Listening People to Life spiritual direction training program. Along the way, writings of Margaret Gunther, Catherine Doherty, John Ortberg, David Benner, and others helped me understand my need for a deeper experience of God. And then I received the most profound wisdom in my personal spiritual direction:

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"God speaks to us in the silence"

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That statement made me wonder: Had I ever listened for what God wanted to say to me? Would I be able to recognize God speaking when I listened? How do I learn to listen? I explored spiritual practices like centering prayer, daily examen, rest, and lectio divina. As my comfort in listening to and noticing God grew, I realized that activities like intentional rest in nature, being with my family, and serving others through worship also deepened my experience of God. As I learned to notice what God was up to in my everyday life, my relationships and my work, I realized God's voice was with me in my present circumstances, and my idea of "prayer" shifted. 

 

A life lived listening for and noticing God is prayer.

 

In his book, Opening to God, David Benner teaches that "prayer is the natural language of the soul" and that involves ongoing communication. God desires to be our dearest friend. That happens as we become people who pray without ceasing. Prayer can be reading scripture and lifting petitions and thanksgiving. And now I knew that noticing and listening have as much value in deepening that relationship as expressing my deepest longings and needs. As my awareness of God in all things grew, I began to recognize an invitation to step away from my comfortable life and explore something new.

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With a sensitivity to this feeling of the-here-and-not-yet, I began to walk into something we call liminal space. It's sacred because we have discerned with others that God is calling us somewhere. And liminal because it feels both dark and light at the same time. We're experiencing the threshold of a new door, and that is often a paradox of both confusion and clarity. It's a bit like walking through a misty forest. Questions such as what, and, how, and, when, and why are very present in our soul. We keep moving forward while we wait for answers, even as branches reach out and grab our face like thin brittle fingers. The scratches bring awareness to the sting of uncertainty and confusion that we feel in the mist, and those nagging questions draw us to seek help when we're stuck and need clarity finding a way forward. ​I think that happens because,  

 

We aren't meant to journey alone. 

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Just as God calls us to live in relationship with others in the human world, our spiritual journey becomes richer when we walk with spiritual friends. These friends don't claim to be experts in our life, and most likely they aren't great theologians, or even living their best life now! Instead, they walk humbly with us and the Lord while offering listening attention, and recognizing that they rely on the Great Counselor for true wisdom. But most importantly, they desire to walk with you in your growing identity as a beloved child of God.

 

I would consider it a great privilege to offer listening space to you in your own spiritual journey. If that's something you're considering, I invite you to reserve space for an initial consultation via Zoom. 

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Peace,

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Krystal