Stepping Out In Faith
I have been going to my church for about thirty years, and we have experienced many different transitions. Sandra Broadus, who started Emmaus, was one of our church founders. We were fortunate to be exposed to the diverse ways of listening to and seeking God’s presence as she taught us Lectio Divina, meditation, gospel contemplation, and other disciplines. We continue this teaching in small groups and sermons.
As a result of Sandra, I knew about the Emmaus program from the start, but never thought it was for me. I could not see how I could be helpful to God. I am older than most, have health challenges, and am an artist. Most of my friends are outside our regular church community. They are people from diverse faith backgrounds and have come to Canada from a variety of countries. We find connections through art, coffee, chocolate, love of family, and our sense of the Divine.
My friends are aware that I am taking this course. We have great chats about the similarities and foundations of their various beliefs. Some of my friends have expressed an interest in becoming a directee when I graduate. They understand that we seek to listen to the gentle nudges of the Spirit. It will be interesting!
When we were asked to find our directees for this coming year, I was concerned that I would not be able to find enough people from my own congregation. So, I asked my pastor if I could do a little presentation about the course and my need for directees during a service one day. From time to time, people are interviewed and talk about what God is doing in their lives. I had prepped for this kind of discussion.
But God has a sense of humor. My pastor, Jamie, texted me one morning to see if I was coming to church. He said that I could have a “few minutes to speak about Emmaus at some point in the service.” This was not quite what I had hoped, but I knew that God was in the details, as a good friend always says. It was one of those over 40-degree days, and the air conditioning was working in our building. I had arranged a ride to church, so everything was a “go.”
I prayed before going that God would provide the people that He wanted me to be companions with throughout this year. I also prayed for a youth.
Our church was not whole that day. It was blisteringly hot, and I am sure people thought they were better off at home and not on the road. I looked around and wondered how this was going to work out!
With little warning, Jamie asked me to speak a few words to everyone. So, I told people about Emmaus and how I started the program even though I did not think I could be helpful to God, much like everyone else in the Bible. I also said that I needed their help to graduate next year. I asked if some of them would agree to be my guinea pigs and would trust me enough to be their directee. Five people approached me. I am not doing all five, but I was shocked. As I was leaving the church, a lovely young girl asked me if I would consider a youth! An answer to prayer.
God indeed is in the details!
I am starting the third year of training to become a Spiritual Director. I see that all of life’s experiences have worked together to deepen my awareness of how extraordinarily deep the love of Jesus is for everyone. I am also an artist and have a fabulous time expressing the playful nature of God through artwork.