I found out about Selah’s Spiritual Direction program in July, 2017, just one week and 5 days before the Pre-Residency retreat began. For 14 years, my soul I had been searching for something “more”. Finding Selah was a true gift. And, this journey of Spiritual Direction has been “more”, so much more than I can express in this writing.

I remember arriving at Bethany Retreat Center for our week of pre-residency… so unsure of myself, feeling totally unprepared, and just knowing everyone would have it all together but me…

I walked in late to this big cozy room. I slipped into my seat in the circle, took a deep breath and began to listen. As each person spoke, my heart was pounding and my eyes were leaking…. I had found my soul’s tribe! Every time someone shared something, I wanted to holler out, “Me too”! When it was my turn to speak, I knew these people would get me. I was safe here…they understood my spiritual heart. The week was so sweet and rich with genuine caring for one another and openness to the movements of the Holy Spirit…perfectly paving our way for our year of residency, and hopefully a lifetime, where we would offer to be a Soul Friend for others…

Being able to walk with others as a Soul Friend/Companion has, for me, been a beautiful manifestation of redemption. It has brought worth to personal life experiences, and years of wrestling with my Faith. In each “session”, there is so often a point where my heart can connect completely with an emotion, problem or question the directee is struggling with. These feel like such Holy moments, and something sweet and meaningful seems to always come from them…as long as I stay out of the way.

Learning to “stay out of the way” has trickled down into all of my relationships. I’m finding that the more value I place on listening to others, and not just their words, but to their heart…the more freely love and understanding flows. I think my husband must be most grateful for Selah. J

I am hoping that life and time will allow for many more of these intentional/scheduled spiritual direction “sessions”. My true heart’s desire is that I can just always be used. And if that is in random, unscheduled ways…at the table, over coffee…in unexpected places and moments…I’m great with that, too.

The Seed Cracked Open– Hafiz

It used to be

That when I would wake in the morning

I could with confidence say,

”What am ‘I’ going to

Do?”

That was before the seed

Cracked open.

Now Hafiz is certain:

There are two of us housed

In this body,

Doing the shopping together in the market and

Tickling each other

While fixing the evening’s food.

 Now when I awake

All the internal instruments play the same music:

”God, what love-mischief can ‘We’ do

For the world

Today?”