Rhythms of Growth. Linda Douty

5:22-23) can grow on this path

      • A feeling of spiritual freedom rather than duty and obligation

      • Energy and courage to move forward

      • An awakening to heightened awareness and understanding

      • A clarity of motives. Is my aim to gain approval, to “look successful” to others? Is this decision merely more comfortable and less challenging, therefore I’m assuming it’s “peaceful”?

      • An assurance that the decision honors others and is compassionate.

      • A strengthening of personal commitments

      • An avenue that fosters love in the world

      • Trust in the Spirit’s involvement in the process

      A few final questions about our decision can jolt us into action: How will I feel about this on my deathbed? What path will I wish I had taken? This line of questioning diminishes the fear of taking a risk. Even if it’s a difficult path, the repeated encouragement of scripture is “Be not afraid.”

      Reflect: Move through the signposts slowly and prayerfully, being as honest and vulnerable as possible. Trust that God’s will for you is wholeness and abundant life.

      FEBRUARY 28 • The Dance of Discernment

      The merging of divine guidance and our free will is like many mysterious concepts—best expressed through imagination and metaphor.

      To me, it resembles a sacred dance. When we dance to music, we simply take the next step in the rhythm of the tune rather than knowing where we’re going to end up on the dance floor! The dance of discernment is no ordinary movement. It is intimate and instinctive—much like a tango, where the partners move in sync with each other and the dance is seamless. If we can imagine ourselves as a partner, with the Holy Spirit leading the dance, then each time the Spirit shifts, we automatically flow with the music. We do not stop to analyze (two steps forward, one move backward, now turn?).

      Perhaps initially we sense this remarkable union for only an instant, but over time we learn to recognize the overwhelming resonance. We come to understand that it is rooted deeply in our soulful relationship with the One who created us for this intimate journey. The nudge from the Spirit usually leads only to the next move, not the entire dance!

      I believe our dance with the Spirit can be just as instinctive as a tango if nourished and practiced for a lifetime. As our relationship with God grows stronger, we gradually begin to move as God moves, see as God sees, hear as God hears, love as God loves. Of course, like any dancer, we sometimes make a misstep. But when we stumble, we come to depend even more on the wisdom and wonder of the leading partner. And, like any skill, the more we practice, the easier it becomes.

      Spiritual discernment is an art, an ongoing engagement with the Creator. It isn’t a list of dos and don’ts designed to lead us to the right answer. Over time, this holy partnership can become a way of life rather than a list of decisions.

      So may we flow with the pace of guidance, and step onto the dance floor!

      Reflect: Engage your imagination and allow yourself to dream about your own dance with the Divine. How would close partnership with the Holy Spirit affect your relationships, your thoughts and statements about others and your view of the world?

      FEBRUARY 29 • A Bonus Day

      Every four years, we receive the gift of an extra twenty-four hours. How will we use this bonus day?

      We affirm that the Holy Spirit desires our wholeness as human beings so we can serve the world with love and compassion. We remind ourselves that the guiding love of God wants us to experience life in greater abundance—the divine measure of abundance, not the world’s measure. With that unconditional love as our foundation, we take time to recap our own process of discernment—not simply what we know about spiritual decision making but how the process operates in our particular lives.

      As we listen for the Spirit’s gentle nudges, remember to notice the following:

      • Flashes of emotional “electricity”—intense curiosity, sudden bursts of joy, sincere interest, deep desire

      • Recurring thoughts that continue to visit, unbidden

      • Persistent urges of fear and resistance that may cloud your vision.

      • Messages from your environment—scripture, songs, advice of those you trust

      • Moments of frustration, obligation, the burden of duty that stifle your peace

      • Feelings of harmony with your values and beliefs

      As you consider these movements in your own soul, listen for God’s invitation embedded within them. What is the still small Voice beckoning you to notice? to grow or learn from? How is God inviting you to take risks, to act on faith?

      Another revealing exercise involves imagining other people in your situation—persons toward whom you feel love and goodwill—who seek counsel from you. What advice would you give? What wisdom would you share? What might God lead you to say? Allow the inspiration intended for them to wind its holy way to you.

      No matter how difficult our dilemmas of discernment, no matter how many troubling aspects a decision may contain, we are never alone in the messiness. God is with us—guiding, inspiring, cajoling, forgiving, loving. What a glorious gift on this bonus day!

      Reflect: Allow courage and gratitude to emerge from your heart. With a knowing smile, embrace the truth that God’s guidance is not simply a sweet idea but an abiding reality.

March

TILLING THE GARDEN

      “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

      —JOHN 8:32

      BREATH PRAYER

      Open my eyes. . . . that I may see.