The phrase strikes me as being true about the work done in spiritual development as well. Sometimes it feels as though, for better or for worse, we are stuck in an experience. As if we have reached our maximum depths and broadest understandings only to face a dull and unchanging future. Of course, this is not actually the case. In my opinion, even the most wise and enlightened among us only begin to dip a toe in this lifetime in to what is possible within the human experience.
Philosophical musings aside, we journey through this life bound by space and time and we inevitably experience ourselves as stuck within one or both. Especially when trauma disrupts our normal flow. I have found it helpful in my own journey and practice of spiritual direction, to try and name the season my soul is in during these experiences of stillness. Like the seasons in nature, there is a flow to our growth. The seasons of the soul are not always equal in length, nor are they guaranteed to progress “in order.” However, having a sense of place in the long-term story of our lives helps us to appreciate our present season and lean in to whatever growth may be happening beneath the surface. I find that the simplest categories for these seasons correspond to those of the natural world, winter, spring, summer, and fall. Although, it can also be rewarding to personalize those names. Each season has two faces to it, acknowledging which we are walking in can help us find joy and gratitude or sobriety, whichever is needed for balance. Where might your soul find itself these days? Where is your directee?
How have you experienced the seasons of your soul’s growth? What names have helped you identify and appreciate your present placement in life? Where do you see the Divine in each?
Art of Spiritual Direction, by W. Paul Jones
Spiritual Exercises Reclaimed: Uncovering Liberating Possibilities for Women, by Katherine Dyckman, Mary Garvin, and Elizabeth Liebert
It's an in-depth training manual for trauma preparedness and response for Spiritual Directors. It includes restorative strategies to expand care and provide safety for traumatized people to heal and thrive. Preview the guide here.
Erin Jantz received her Master’s Degree in Spiritual Formation and Soul Care from the Institute for Spiritual Formation. She also holds a B.A. in developmental psychology and has furthered her education with trainings in trauma care from Boston University and intensives with Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk. She has been practicing spiritual direction since 2012, helped to author ICTG's Spiritual Formation Resource Guide, and also teaches and speaks on a variety of spiritual formation topics. Erin lives in Southern California with her husband and their four marvelous children. |