Where Am I to Be, and How Am I to Be?: A Spiritual Guidance Reflection

I completed the Spiritual Direction Program a year ago, yet the work of the program continues to live and move within me. I slowly came to realize that this was about more than learning to accompany another — it was the Holy One gently drawing me into my own sacred journey from head to heart – journey into the deeper places of my own spirit.

Through the program, I learned to listen for the still, small voice of the Holy — the One who knows my every joy, my every fear, and my every hope and desire. I learned to trust Spirit to reveal me to myself, not only in extraordinary moments, but also through the ordinary experiences of everyday life.

The program opened a place within me that listens differently now. It taught me to place my ear upon my heart and notice the music playing within my own soul. Mine became a sacred dance with Spirit — a dance that continues to guide my steps as I ask, “Where am I to be, and how am I to be?”

The didactics of the program were priceless, but their deepest meaning was revealed beyond the classroom. I began to discover the spirit of the teachings in the quiet movement of an ocean breeze, in a moment of stillness, and even in the falling of a tear.

I learned to notice the saltiness of that tear and to wonder whether its salt might be the very seasoning needed to awaken, unlock, or deepen something Spirit is seeking to reveal. What may appear to be a simple tear can carry sorrow, joy, longing, healing, or a truth that has not yet found words.

As I became more attentive to the movement of Spirit within myself, the call to sit with another person and listen for the music playing within their spirit became more palpable. Spiritual direction invites us to listen together for the sacred rhythm of the Holy as it is revealed uniquely to them. We do not direct their steps; we companion them as they begin to recognize their own music and find the courage to follow where it leads.

It was comforting to know that I was held by a community throughout my formation. That community supported me on the journey and helped open my heart to new possibilities and to the many ways Spirit and creation were shaping and molding me. 

The community of support that held me throughout the program continues to accompany me through the cohort that was formed during our first retreat. We are a circle of friends in the spirit who I value and we remain present to one another as we continue to listen, learn, and grow in this sacred work.

In my faith tradition, we are exploring new ways to “invite, welcome, and connect” people to the Church. For me, this is also at the heart of spiritual direction. We invite another into a sacred and trustworthy space. We welcome them as they are, without judgment or expectation. And we connect with them as together we listen for the movement of the Holy in the ordinary circumstances of their life.

Spiritual direction does not begin by asking someone to conform. It begins by offering a place where they may be seen, heard, and accompanied as Spirit reveals the sacred path already unfolding within them.

It is difficult to express fully how much inner work took place during the program. Yet that work continues to accompany me whenever I sit with a seeker on their own sacred journey. I come not with answers, but with a listening heart—trusting that the same Spirit who revealed me to myself is already present, gently revealing each person to themselves.

I am deeply humbled that the Holy One — the Creator — has placed this call upon my life: to sit with another, to listen with the ear of my heart, and to accompany them as they discover the sacred music playing within their own spirit.

Even now, finding the words to describe this call fills me with wonder and gratitude. It is not a calling I possess, but a sacred gift entrusted to me — one that continues to shape me even as I companion others along the way.

In watching an English movie, “The Other Bennet Sister,” the main character attends a ball. She has a dance card attached to her wrist by a ribbon. The purpose of the card is to write the names of those gentlemen who have asked her to dance. 

I am reminded of the dance cards seen in period films, upon which the names of each awaited dance partner were carefully written. As I continue this spiritual journey, I sometimes wonder whose name the Holy One will place next upon my dance card. Who will I be invited to sit beside? Whose sacred music will I be called to hear? Each person brings a rhythm uniquely their own, and my role is not to lead or determine the steps, but to listen, remain attentive, and trust Spirit to guide the dance. With an open heart, I wait to discover who I will next companion on this sacred journey.

• Facebook
• Instagram
• YouTube