If spiritual direction is a space where we explore encounters with God, then how do we know when God shows up? It’s a question people ask, and one I’ve been considering lately.
I believe we encounter the Divine (whatever name you use is fine) when we encounter those basic values that make life worth living: love, joy, peace, patience, wisdom, beauty, steadfastness, life-giving energy, compassion, connection, creativity—the list could go on of course. That is still my benchmark for testing what is the blessing of God to us and for us.
It’s mostly mystery
Recently, though, I have come to a greater appreciation of the mystery involved in the conversations a spiritual director has with their directee. As the writer of the New Testament letter to Timothy puts it,
Without any doubt, the Mystery of our religion is great.
So much so that when asked by a spiritual director who comes to me for supervision how do you know or experience God’s presence in a session, I spoke a truth I had not yet fully absorbed until I said it: I take it on faith that God is present.
Not knowing, yet believing
I pray before a session to be fully open to the working of the Spirit within me as I meet with a directee and I simply believe that by asking, we receive. I pray that the directee be moved to share what they need to share and that my responses will lead to greater insight, and I simply believe that by asking, we receive. Sometimes I feel a spiritual power within a session–a great joy or deep resonance. Sometimes I don’t feel anything I can describe. But even then, I have asked for God’s presence, and I believe that by asking we receive.
I’m not sure why God is such a mystery. I just find that to be the case. I’m going through a time of dryness in prayer, and I wrestle with why God isn’t clearer with us about, well, everything. With the help of my spiritual director, I’m beginning to be at peace with not knowing how it all holds together. For now, my spiritual path and my approach to spiritual direction is to see it as an act of faith and let that be enough.
May you trust the mystery
It is my hope that whether you are a spiritual care provider, a recipient of such care, or a person deeply interested in spiritual growth, you will be blessed with the gift of faith in moments of ineffable mystery. It’s kind of what the season of Advent is about, isn’t it?
Blessings this holiday season.
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