“O God, help me! How a soul suffers when she loses the freedom to be who she truly is. What torment she endures. I am amazed to see that I survived such pain. Praise be to God, who gave me life when I was on the brink of such a deadly death.” Teresa of Avila, The Book of My Life (1562)
On Saturday when I meet with the Shalom Program leaders and students, I’ll be sharing gratitude for the way St. Scholastica’s spiritual direction class has been helping me move into the greater and greater freedom of being Lezlie.
As a young adult, I was thankful my parents encouraged me to become the very best Lezlie I could be. They weren’t interested in making me into an Amelia or a Janet or a Suzy. I’m sure sometimes it was hard for them because they could have told Suzy what to do. Instead, they expected Lezlie to think for herself and make good decisions. These days as I mature in the spiritual life, I am thankful God encourages me to become healthy and whole, developing into the best Lezlie I can be.
Teresa writes, “How a soul suffers when she loses the freedom to be who she truly is.” One of the biggest advantages of spiritual companioning is the opportunity it gives us to move away from the pain of the phony self and in the direction of health and wholeness. Teresa’s words remind us that we can reach out at any time for the freedom God gives to become who we truly are, and we can join Teresa in saying “Praise be to God.”
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