Ann Randerson from Brussels, Belgium shares how becoming a spiritual director has heightened her awareness of beautiful moments unfolding. Ann is this week’s guest blogger and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to give you a glimpse into her world. – Theresa Blythe
On a recent morning walk, I was expecting the usual greetings from passersby – “Hallo” or “Dag” or “Goeiemorgen” in Dutch (Flemish) – but there was no one. Instead, the bare trees of the local park greeted me, dripping with the remains of frozen rain. Alone around, I put on my boots and made my way along the dirt path covered with frozen grass.
As I strolled, listening to the wind whistling through the trees, I hoped I might bump into a neighbor. Residents of my village outside Brussels have become friendlier since COVID-19 hit the world. Now, you don’t need to have a puppy or walk a baby to be greeted. Maybe it’s because I’m older and my lifestyle has slowed down. I’m better integrated into the culture than I was 34 years ago, when I moved to Belgium from California.
It’s nice to stop and say hello to others during my early morning walks. These walks come after my MPJ (meditation, prayer, journaling) time and get my heart racing before I do what I love on the computer during the week: writing and meeting with clients. Like most spiritual directors, I love my work. There is something special about sharing meaningful time with my mentors in different parts of the world each month. I love being able to offer them sacred space and help them reflect on the spiritual and non-spiritual things that happen in their lives. I am grateful that through our practice, we have learned to open our senses and observe and receive the many workings of God (or however our mentors choose to call Him). It helps us to see how the people who share this precious moment with us feel about it.
Preserve Space
Through our extensive training programs and years of spiritual teaching experience, we are grateful for how we have been trained to hold space for our students. We patiently watch every breath as we support them month after month as they navigate the unexpected and sometimes unimaginable tasks that present themselves in life’s situations, along with their families, loved ones, and places of worship. Tears often flow as I notice signs of light and blessings surrounding my students during sessions. I feel mercy and love showering down on us in moments of grace, uplifting the hearts and strengthening the souls of my students, especially in times of emptiness and sadness. In these moments, my soul grows too.
As spiritual directors, we commit to being fully with our mentors in monthly sessions, either individually or in groups. We may be called spiritual directors, but rather we are special companions, guides, helpers, and overall good listeners to our mentors. We commit to creating a blessed space to welcome what we feel most called for: all forms of communication (even the most subtle) with God, the divine, or a higher source of wisdom. We offer our mentors deep space, the opportunity to be with them unconditionally. This space between us and the higher source (sometimes called the “third chair” in spiritual directors) allows the mentor to feel, notice, and express what weighs on their soul and spirit. Then, at the end of the session, depending on the mentor’s wishes, we pray together or sometimes stay silent and bask in the gift of what has just happened.
Collision in the park
As I braved the icy cold to walk across the park on a chilly January day, I found myself lost in thought. I reflected on how fortunate I was to have been guided through the spiritual direction apprenticeship training program I had just completed. I had been working with volunteer mentors from three different continents for ten months, and now it was time to begin my own spiritual direction practice. I looked out at the leafless trees for answers. How would potential mentors find me?
Suddenly, my thoughts came to an abrupt halt as I rounded a rather large pine tree. I heard a scream. It was loud and high-pitched, like a kettle boiling. The scream was coming from the skate park about 10 feet away. I was terrified when I noticed a small blonde head face down on the cement edge of the rink. With my heart pounding, I ran over to the blonde head and yelled, “Are you OK?”
“Yes.” A smile spread across my face. The boy looked to be about 10 years old. He rose to his feet, grabbed his skateboard, and began a circus-like routine. I watched in admiration. After three dangerous loops, he skated up to me, smiled again, and took off.
Listen with your heart
As with spiritual direction, our guided subjects come to us with stories that are pieces of the reality of their existence. We need to be prepared for that. We may hear cries, smiles, heartfelt moments, good moments, bad moments, and neutral moments. That’s why it’s so important that we take good care of ourselves so that we can open our hearts, minds, and souls to our guided subjects and give them our full attention. That’s the gift of spiritual direction, the gift that spiritual leaders receive every time: the fullness of each moment as it unfolds.
Note from the author: Religious traditions around the world have unique ways of celebrating their faith. In the Christian tradition in which I was raised, prayers for love, compassion, and goodwill towards all are celebrated. This is also true in the Zen Buddhism in which I studied in Japan, and many other religions. Messages of these prayers have been translated into all religions, faith traditions, ideologies, and languages around the world. In this time of increasing global conflict, I hope these messages will help bring peace to all.
Many thanks to Teresa Blythe for the opportunity to contribute to Spiritual Direction 101.
Dr. Ann Randerson graduated Phoenix Spiritual Direction Center Apprenticeship Training Program She lives in Brussels, Belgium, until January 2024. She is a writer, mindfulness coach, teacher of contemplative practice and creative expression, and a member of Spiritual Directors International (SDI). In 2003, Anne Human Life Studies After six years of research in northern Japan, she wrote the following paper: Human Lifestyle and Sensitivity to Nature: A Comparative Study of Japan and the West from a Religious PerspectiveAnne has lived in five countries, speaks six languages, and currently offers online sessions to spiritual leaders of different faiths, cultures, languages, and backgrounds. She particularly welcomes those in the international LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse (including ADHD), and creative communities, as well as those facing chronic illness, grief, and loss. Anne also provides spiritual guidance for interfaith groups, nature-based retreats, and pilgrimages. To contact Anne, please visit: https://www.evocativesoul.com Or contact Anne at info@evocativesoul.com.
Source: Spiritual Direction 101 – www.patheos.com
