Your Story and a Flashlight is a “Sacred Space to Rest…”
Now the word “rest” has many different meanings. According to https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rest there are at least 19 different ways to use the word “rest.” Some examples are:
1) freedom from activity or labor
2) a state of motionlessness or inactivity
3) peace of mind or spirit
4) something used for support
5) to sit or lie fixed or supported
6) to cause to be firmly fixed
7) Being rooted (not part of original list from the above website. I don’t remember which site it came from.)
Many of the definitions of rest paint a picture of not moving. Things like; sitting around or lack of activity. I especially like to rest after I go to the gym or more like I would rather stay in rest skipping the gym and hitting the snooze button on the alarm clock multiple times. This is not the “rest” that I am talking about when I say that Spiritual Direction is a Sacred Space to Rest.
The type of rest that happens in Spiritual Direction explores what it would be like; to lie fixed or supported, to be firmly fixed, or being rooted. An image that comes to mind are trees that grow out of nurse logs. Those trees are rooted or fixed to the nurse log. Nurse logs are also known as “healers of the forest” (https://www.americanforests.org/blog/nurse-logs-healers-forest/). This type of "rest" takes time and work to establish.
To use the imagery of the nurse log. People are the vegetation that grows out of the nurse log, the nurse log is the Love of God/Spirit/Presence, and the rain and sunshine is spiritual direction. God/Spirit/Presence invites humanity to place its trust (roots) into Their Love. Spiritual Direction provides the space or environment for humanity to experience and immerse themselves into that Healing Love.
If you want to learn more about Spiritual Direction I can be contacted via the website: www.yourstoryandaflashlight.com or by email: mark@yourstoryandaflashlight.com
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