Behind Those Eyes: Ms. Spirituality (Chapter 5)

Spirituality is like a river flowing
through every person.
Unfortunately, it can be dammed in
times of illness, dying, and/or
bereavement, with pain, fear and loneliness.

However, a compassionate,
caring presence can prevent the dam
from forming and keep the river flowing.

~Steven Jeffers

(Institute for Spirituality in Health)

No challenges expected with the title of Lisa Whittles' chapter here-Ms. Spirituality-right? Wrong. I saw it coming...like a deer in headlights. What a sweet reminder to examine our heart in this concept of our "spirituality". I lost a distant colleague and friend-Steven Jeffers a few months ago in a car accident. I immediately thought of his work on this concept of spirituality in health care and the value he played in educating and fueling my passion for this subject.

I love this subject. As a nursing professor, I teach this. As a nurse and women of God, I live it. But do I live it in the right mind set-God's mind set?

I could rattle off a variety of definitions within the concepts of spirituality. In our faith community nurse course we offer for the experience nurse, I teach the concepts of spirituality and religion and what it is to be a nurse in a faith based community such as our churches. This class is made up of a diverse population of nurses from different faith backgrounds. I have been careful to not "offend"-to teach with an openness and acceptance of all the faith belief systems. I have used the same cautious approach in the classroom of our beginning nursing students as I have had professed atheist sitting in the those chairs. However, I have been convicted in this after reading this chapter.

Ouch. There's that word again...convicted. Are we really called to walk carefully in this matter? Are we really suppose to use caution as we identified the truth of our spirituality? NO! NO! NO!

Even though the college I teach at is professed to be "christian", there are no requirements for its students to be of the same thinking. We have all walks of faith, non-faith, sexuality, etc. Sadly this fine line in addressing concepts of God has masked the truth of spirituality. I thought I was entering into a much different environment when I accepted this position 5 years ago. However, I was most empowered and convicted by the following from this chapter which relates to my thinking as I teach my spirituality courses and examine my own heart:

"True spirituality is about the awesome power of God showing up in a person's life to the point that people around her notice a difference." (pp.95).

Wow. Can I say that of me? When I sit in my red paisley chair each morning for my quiet time or drive along listening to an inspiring christian song I can feel God's presence and the spiritual is very real and alive in me. Yet is it evidenced to others? I can work in every ministry, fill every void within my church, open and close the church doors every time there is an event but that does not make me spiritual. Does it really make me who I am? No. It's an action, a service, and it does not always require the spiritual.

When I came out of my "pit" I went through a spiritual distress time-I read everything I could on grace and healing, I only listened to Christian music, I prayed, I journaled relentlessly, I involved myself to the point of not feeling within the act. I was desperate for others to see what God was doing in my life, that I could be more than my sin. But my thoughts have changed over the last four years. My desperation has shifted gears to be more passionate about who Christ is and who I am in Christ=less focused on my outward works, more focused on my inward works. Its the inward work of our heart that leads us closer to God.

"The person who actually is spiritual is spiritual as it comes from the Holy Spirit and is in the presence of Almighty God". (pp.95)

I want more of Him. Yes, I want to serve, I want to be successful for Him but more than anything else, I want to know Him better than anything else. I want to be fully spiritual under His qualifications. In knowing Him more then I know my "desire to please God superseded [my] fear and anxieties about [my] leadership role" (pp. 93). I can serve in my church because the spiritual is alive and well in my heart and mind, not because I can perform an action.

Lisa's tough question for us this week: "Are you trading your reputation for repentance?" Yes, I am guilty of this. Oh Lord, forgive me for the times when I have done this. Then she ask, "Do you need to get spiritually real?" Well, it has been a work in progress but it is happening. Internally. Again, externally, I pray I can be more real than I ever have been. In the meantime, I am resting in this "desert time" I seem to be in and I am desperate for anything and everything He has for me that will draw me more fully into Him, into His spirituality. I will be most spiritual when I enter into eternity but until then my assignment is to be spiritually minded in all things.

So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. ~Romans 8:6

I cherish the insight everyone has within this blog Bible study which you can get to from our host blog site Lelia!! Thanks for taking the time to stop by here today. I will pray for each of you. I will stop by your postings this weekend. Blessings!

Now on a discerning note...I feel like I am so overwhelmed lately. To the point that my mind is tired. Did you see all the typo's in my last post? It shows in my speech, my thought process and now my dress...look closely at this picture...

I took my 12 year old shopping for some much needed winter clothes after our parent-teacher conference yesterday. We were at our last store and I happened to look down at my shoes. Do you see it? Oh my gosh...I wore two different shoes!! To the parent-teacher conference-to the mall and several other stores!!! After the initial shock I told my daughter I meant to do this. She is already embarrassed by her parents, I have now topped it for her. Augghhhhh!! My husband is thinking it's time to reserve a room at the extended care facility down the road. Seriously. I think I need prayer.

In Him~Pamela