I was recently working with a directee talking about spiritual formation as a form of self-care. Spiritual formation isn’t meant to be done as a checkmark on the list of what makes us a good and faithful person. It is to be done with the hope and expectation that our souls will be refreshed and more fully aligned with God’s. If this is the case, spiritual formation is less of a task and more of a type of self-care – something that fuels us and something we crave. This is particularly needed for those who continue to pour themselves out to others without getting anything poured into them (clergy, teachers, health care workers, therapists – I am looking at you). This kind of self-care is needed in order for us to be available to others who need us, rely on us, and look to us for direction, care, and love.
Getting UNcomfortable
As we spoke about formational routines that once worked but seem to fall short now, I was reminded of the importance of getting ourselves uncomfortable. Sometimes we become so comfortable in our routines, they become very rote and ordinary. In these instances, God could show up and scream our names and we may not hear God, simply because we are just performing our usual routine and our comfort in said routine has blinded us to God around us. This is when we need to shake up the routine and make ourselves UNcomfortable… uncomfortable because the ways in which we are investing ourselves aren’t as natural and as familiar. In these times, we are often more able to witness the workings of God. Why? Because we are more alert to our own activity, and therefore alert to the activity of the holy around us.
Pouring IN to Pour OUT
As we continued to talk, we also touched on the realities of pouring ourselves out so often – especially during the pandemic – and not being able to take in. This can be true in our spiritual formation practices as well. So often we feel like we have to be DOING… reading the scriptures, praying our gratitude journal, giving our time away for good causes. These are all great, but they require an outpouring of ourselves… energy to be given. And quite honestly, many of us are not feeling like we have much of that energy left to give.
Alternative practices of formation which can become practices of self-care involve the filling of ourselves – the “taking in” of what the Holy has to offer us. Practices such as centering prayer, silent meditation, or quiet walks through labyrinths can help us feel refueled and filled with the Spirit in ways that allow us to once again be able to give of ourselves. Yes there is still a “doing” in these practices, but the doing is more centered on being receptive than on completing a task such as a bible study or journal entry. When we alter our patterns and routines, we open ourselves up to unexpected glories that are poured out from God – glories that not just fill us, but move us to overflowing.
I know my compassion fatigue is real and has operated at high levels – how is yours? Do you find yourself extra snippy, short, and cynical? If so, maybe it’s time to change the routine – ever so slightly – so that the Spirit can find that opening to pour God’s encouragement and love back into you.