Spiritual direction is time spent with open hearts together, open to the presence of the Holy. My role is to listen, notice, and be open to wonder as the Holy Spirit guides us.
I appreciate the definition of a spiritual director offered by Bill Haley (emphasis added): “the spiritual director is one who, most simply, walks alongside another person helping them to listen to what God is saying in their lives and recognize God’s actions. He or she is not a counselor, who ‘listens to a person on God’s behalf’, or a teacher primarily transferring information like a jug to a mug…in other words, spiritual direction is not so much about ‘diagnosis of the other’ but rather ‘discernment with the other.’
This is delicate work, grounded in contemplative practices, discernment, and love.
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