BY: KAYLA COLFORD

My journey of exploring spiritual formation happened outside of my faith tradition. In my own tradition, a term like “spiritual formation” is not met with excitement but rather confusion.
Nonetheless, I have found excitement and personal resonance in spiritual formation, which in
turn has transformed my walk with Jesus. I now have words to describe spiritual experiences,
understand how my personality matters in how I connect with God, and have experienced the
significance of spiritual direction.

In the four classical stages of spiritual formation, I discovered I currently fall between purgation and illumination.  This means purging things that are not in line with Christ, the process of being in line with Christ, and letting go of control. This put words to what I had been experiencing the year before as I discerned a significant life decision to go part-time work to prioritize my family. However, money had become an idol. My year of discerning was caught up in money, thus stunting my spiritual growth. I confessed my sin of idolatry to God, asked Him to help me trust Him, and took action by talking to the right people to make part-time work a reality. As soon as I made this decision, I noticed a significant difference in my relationship with Jesus as it began to deepen and strengthen more than it ever had before.  

One of the ways my relationship with Jesus has deepened was learning that for spiritual formation to be transformational, personality needs to be considered. My perspective is that I have an intrinsic spiritual style as an ISFJ (Introvert, Sensing, Feeling, and Judging). As an ISFJ, I consider that I need alone time as an introvert. I wake up before my kids, have time to energize my spirit, and focus on praying, journalling, and reading Scripture. As someone with a sensing preference, I take in the Word with my five senses So I can better focus on God when my body is moving, for example, doing the dishes, journaling, going for a walk, and meditating on a Scripture. 

This has further led to a renewal in my reading of Scripture. As someone who leans into the sensing temperament, holding books in my hand allows me to feel their texture, my eyes follow the words on the pages, and sometimes reading the words out loud engages my ears. Having a physical Bible to read and a pen and journal stick with me more than reading from an electronic device. 

Secondly, I lean towards an intrinsic spiritual style, which means I am motivated by faith, search for meaning and purpose in life, and internalize my faith’s beliefs and attitudes, which can significantly impact physical and psychological health, social relationships, and environmental health. During my year of discernment, the stress of holding onto the burden was beginning to take a toll on my physical and psychological health negatively. As someone with an intrinsic spiritual style, I was internalizing beliefs and attitudes that were not in line with my faith, thus impacting my health negatively. Once I released this to God and confessed my sin of idolatry, my physical and psychological health improved as I lived out my faith true to my beliefs and convictions. 

Spiritual direction has been an ideal space to utilize these new learnings of my personality and how I best connect with God by helping me leverage my sensing preference through imaginative prayer. During one session, I imagined Jesus beside me on my couch and shared all my emotions and fears of the unknown. I experienced deep in my being how well He listens, how much He cares, and how close he is. Jesus looked at me and said, “Your heavy emotions are attached to all the things you desire to have control of. You don’t have control, Kayla. I do. Trust me. This is not your burden to carry.”

Through spiritual formation, I have a much deeper and more real understanding of what it means for Jesus to be the Lord of my life. Sometimes, this means the painful work of confession and releasing control to Him, but what a gift of peace and ease He offers on the other side of that painful work. I have experienced in a very real sense how easy His burden is and how light His yoke is. Praise be to God! 

Kayla is currently serving as a military chaplain, having previously worked as both a pastor and a chaplain in the medical field. Living in Nova Scotia with her husband and two children, she is passionate about helping people deepen their relationship with Jesus. With a heart for spiritual formation, she is dedicated to the mission of the Church and guiding others in their faith journey. A self-confessed coffee snob, Kayla enjoys staying active, reading, and exploring the great outdoors with her family. She holds a BA from St. Thomas University, an MDiv from Acadia University, and an MA in Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy from Acadia University.