The Unwritten Guide: Navigating a Spiritual Life

I’m a pragmatist. Practical solutions and guidelines are my cup of tea. If you want to get from point A to point B, give me the steps or a road map, and navigating will be easy.

When our first child was born, and we had reached the 2-day maximum stay in the hospital, it was time to go home. I thought to myself, these folks are nuts. We don’t have a clue what we are doing, and they are sending us home with this little infant! We can’t even change his diaper without help, and we don’t even have YouTube! Where is the instruction manual? Surely, they send you home with some kind of literature, like pamphlets or booklets. But, no, they sent us home empty-handed, with no direction to speak of with a newborn baby. Who does that?

That feeling of being utterly unprepared didn’t just disappear when we left the hospital. It continued as it so often does when traversing new territory. As my mom always said when navigating new adventures, parenting being one of them, “It’s trial and error.” Well, trials and errors we made. 

Isn’t that what navigating a spiritual life can be like? At times, we may feel a little lost and unprepared. Like parenting, we might search for answers from a guidebook or direction from others. And there’s nothing wrong with that. However, the Lord knows us better than anyone; we can simply ask Him to give us direction. 

God created us uniquely. The way we experience Him will also be unique. In other words, there are infinite ways to experience the Lord’s presence. 

Below is a short list that I hope sparks some ideas to explore connecting with God:

• Prayer time: sit quietly and invite the Lord to be with you. Yes, I know He’s everywhere, omnipresent, but we want to invite Him right into this prayer space with an open heart and mind to welcome Him to speak.
• Scripture reading: If a word or sentence grabs your attention, sit with it, meditate, and ask the Lord, “What would you like me to know here?”
• Spiritual reading: There is so much content out there. Pick one!
• Journaling: Sometimes, I start writing nonsense and gobbledygook, and the next thing I know, He starts speaks through the words I write. Let it flow.
• Prayer group/Spiritual Community: We aren’t meant to be a spiritual island. Community is crucial to maintaining a flourishing spiritual life.
• Music: I love music, especially Christian music. Sometimes, music reaches us in ways that other mediums cannot.
• Nature: walking outside is usually a time when I hear God. I leave my phone at home and go observe creation.
• Silent driving: It’s easy to use this time to make calls and listen to music and podcasts, but as a friend once told me, her car rides to work are sacred. Her car becomes a sanctuary to pray and listen to God. Make your car a sanctuary.

Keep asking God to direct you. Be willing to invite Him into all aspects of your life, i.e. work, ministry, relationship, recreation, etc. Probe into new ways to experience God. He might surprise you. Ultimately, it’s about encountering the Lord; trial and error is simply part of the beautiful, grace-filled journey. Embrace what brings you closer, and let go of what doesn’t. What are your favorite ways to experience the Lord?