Spiritual Formation in the Past and in the Present

What has spiritual formation looked like for me in the past and now in the present? 

Spiritual growth when I was a child, teen, and young adult meant very early morning time with God - reading my Bible, praying, journaling, going to church, and trying to share what I was learning about God with others. I felt good about what I was doing and felt close to God. 

I want to emphasize that those activities were what was good and right for me back then and some are still good for me today. What I’m doing now is good and right for me at this current place where I find myself. Often I’m tempted to view all I did before deconstruction as wrong or bad, but it has made me who I am today and I love her. 

Today spiritual formation looks like time outside, time in nature, a daily gratitude practice, encouraging myself to notice what’s going on around me and inside of me, spending time in silence and solitude, Bible exploration through Lectio Divina, journaling, and growing in self-awareness as a human, parent, and wife. 

I wanted to encourage you to take some time to think back over your spiritual journey. What did you do when you were younger? What do you do now that is different? What do you do now that is the same? What might you hope to explore in the future? 

One thing I’ve learned through the spiritual formation communities is that just showing up is something and coming back is also something. Sometimes that means showing up and thinking about what you’re grateful for. Other times it might mean being in conversation with someone. It doesn’t have to be a big deal (although it can be in some instances). Coming back might mean coming back to God if you’ve been wandering awhile, but it can also mean coming back to a practice that you let fall away or perhaps after a season where it was no longer a good fit for your life. And if it’s been a while, even just a day or week, coming back is so good. God and a chance to engage with Her in the world is always there.

I look forward to growing to know God, the Bible, and the world around me and know my spiritual formation in the future will also look different. That’s what true growth is all about.