I love this painting of the Emmaus Road. Two friends walking together down the path of life with Jesus beside them. I have blogged about Emmaus Road impact on my spiritual walk before such on this link.
Who is companioning you on your journey?
Some will answer that question by saying Jesus is their companion. Others will reply besides Jesus, they share their faith stories with family and friends. In addition, others grow by speaking with a spiritual director.
In my program to become a spiritual director we had the assignment to pick someone from history, a spiritual giant, to study with for two years. There is so much we can learn from studying others who came before us.
I am not a fan of the word “spiritual giants” since these people are humans with weaknesses, difficulties and even poor decision making. Saints were not super humans, but in reality they were flawed and sinful just like us. But somehow they kept running that race; their lives reflect what we wish for, what we desire most deeply and the direction in which we are headed in life. They can be mentors for us. They can teach us.
I chose Dorothy Day. Others in my group learned about St Augustine, Martin Luther, Julia of Norwich, Catherine of Sienna, Francis of Assisi, Thomas Merton, C.S. Lewis, Evelyn Underhill and John Wesley.
We read about them and studied to find out how they grew spiritually, what their view of God was, how did they pray, and how did they grew. What did they write? What did others say about them? How did they hear God? How did they know God’s will? What mistakes did they make? Who influence them? Whom did they influence?
My challenge to you is to seek to find someone this year and dig deeply into their life and their faith journey. Read about them. Find out how they grew spiritually. Do an Internet search about their life. Develop an expertise on that person.
Several weeks ago I survey many of you to help me select a woman from history to study. The one with the most votes was Hildegard of Bingen. Currently I am reading two books about her and will soon post about what she is teaching me.
We become what we focus on.
Who you are journeying with can help you grow and teach you how to focus on Jesus. They can help us become transformed into the person God called us to be.
Hebrews chapter 12 tells us we have cheerleaders in life. A great cloud of witnesses, those who have gone before us, encourage us on our journey. We can learn much from their lives of faith.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us.
Hebrew 12:1
Who will you invite this year to walk with you on your journey?
I love learning more about those I read, Phil. It does give you insight. I have especially enjoyed learning about those in the 1300 and 1500s, though have to be mindful of the world they lived in then. There is always something to learn, right?
me again. You have a great list of companions. I knew most of them but not James Fowler. Will have to look him up.
So sorry to be so late in replying to this but we have been traveling and I am just now getting back to the blog. You added some interesting insight: i too never thought I could be someone’s companion. So many of you fellow bloggers after a while I feel like I do know and we do share our journeys. Good insight!
Great Post, Jean. When I read it, I had to stop and evaluate who I am currently on my journey with, and whether that taking me where I want to go. My answers surprised me. I need to make some deliberate adjustments. I then wondered if I am someone elses companion on their journey, and am I filling the responsibility of that role.
Dear Jean
I learned so much from Madame Jean Guyon, Brother Lawrence and A.W.Tozer. Currently I am studying the teachings of James Fowler ( Christ in You Ministries) and I am also very fond of Jaques Ellul, G.k Chesterton, Karl Barth and the late Brennan Manning.
What a great idea Jean… When I do Scripture research I spend a good bit of time in the writings of Biblical Scholars and Theologians, but I’ve never dug deeper into their lives to find out what brought them to those messages…
Thank you!
Have a Blessed Day!