We have covered so much these last 5 weeks, and today as we conclude this series, I wanted to take a moment to sit with what we have discovered and practice a few techniques that pair beautifully with common spiritual disciplines to assist in continuing to understand and make time to reflect and process our emotional distress.

You see, what I am learning in the presence of distress and as I sit with my clients day after day, is that our distress points us to our desires and design.

Ronald Rolheiser suggests in his writings that all human souls experience this internal tension by way- of longing, loneliness, desire, restlessness, or other felt emotions.

Yet, there is something we learn in facing our longings and naming the ways we are left wanting… As we chase after things, feelings, experiences, and people, we come to find that these things cannot quench the insatiable soul.

Despite my desire to alleviate my distress or hope it will never return, the question I have been coming to ask instead is this…

How is my soul being shaped by longing?

So, here are a few ways we can practice being shaped by longings.

In the therapy space, we call these distress tolerance skills, and in the church, you may know them as spiritual disciplines. I encourage you to take time to pause & practice these skills and add them to your daily rhythms.

Observation = silence & contemplation

Mindfulness = solitude & practicing God’s presence

Self-Validation = prayer & scripture

Support = Community & Care

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RESOURCES IN THIS EPISODE -

The Fire Within - Ronald Rolheiser: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Within-Desire-Sexuality-Longing/dp/1640606661

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