Soul work is courageous work. It is also incremental work; slow going. If we are really honest, finding time isn’t the only barrier we face in doing the hard and holy work of soul tending. Sure, with many demands and responsibilities, it indeed can be difficult to make space for the necessary work. But, entering into quiet space is just one part.
In a few weeks I will be leading spiritual renewal week at a local Christian school. In the initial meeting to determine a topic, there was much interest and affirmation for my idea to focus on spiritual disciplines. “But, be sure to call them spiritual practices,” the campus pastor emphasized. “Don’t use the word discipline.”
And I get it. Spiritual Discipline is not the most invitational of phrases. For many it has a negative connotation: hardship, lack, perseverance through pain. Humans are always resisting limitations and discipline smacks of rules and regulations. Rituals, habits, rhythms and routines are more palatable.
But that comment prompted me to wonder, what would it take to recognize the gifts and goodness of limitation? What comfort could we find in remembering that the life of faith is a journey; a relationship that requires tending. That the rituals and commitments we make are never complete, but something we continue to work at throughout our lives.
In my soul care practice, I often draw on the image of a spiral because it so powerfully illustrates the track of our spiritual lives. It is not so much that we move on from certain struggles or questions, but it is that we have the opportunity to move through them, going deeper or working at a different level in different seasons of our lives. It’s a reminder that at every point, we have the opportunity to respond differently, to practice what we are discovering.
Time and again we resist the very practices that will help us get where we want to go. Because change (even welcome change) can be difficult to embrace. Honesty and vulnerability are necessary elements. Soul work can require acknowledging and dealing with the things we work hard to ignore, avoid or cover up. And if we do the work, we often find another layer to excavate. We gain a new perspective, and we encounter more work to do.
If you are feeling overwhelmed, discouraged or stuck in your life or faith, consider the practices that shape how you show up. What rhythms (would) enable you to be in the world in the ways you would like to be? What soul work awaits?
If you or someone you know would benefit from companionship in the work of your soul, I have space for a few new clients. You can learn more about my practice or schedule a soul care conversation here.
A Blessing for the Spiral
The things you most need to tend
will await your attention
and that is a blessing.
There is no rushing through
the unfolding of grief, pain or life itself
and that is a blessing.
In discouragement and overwhelm
the work will remain, until you are ready
and that is a blessing.
There is no expiration date
on the work of your soul
and that is a blessing.