I am excited to share this meditation by Rev. Maria E. Gullo. Maria is a Spiritual Director and Christian Meditation Teacher. She has spent the past 20+ years teaching, supporting and sharing the contemplative dimension of Christian spirituality.
Maria is an ordained minister with the Federation of Christian Ministries, commissioned presenter by Contemplative Outreach, and a Certified Integrative Health Coach.
Learn more about Maria at The Deeper Connection.
Being a Contemplative Christian does not exempt me from worry, fear and anxiety. It does, however, make a way through the challenging stuff of life creating the opportunity for authentic transformation.
How does transformation translate into real world experience? What does it look like? What does it feel 
like? As a single woman, business owner, mother, grandmother and Spiritual Director, life can feel overwhelming at times. Primarily when I let some situation trigger me into creating a fictitious story in my mind about what could happen, rather than what is happening, in the moment. Perhaps you can I identify with this? From the story comes fear, worry and all the ‘what ifs’ that cause the stressful feelings of being overwhelmed. The story takes on a life of it’s own and worry quickly becomes fear that quickly turns into anxiety. So then what?
Sometimes I berate myself for not trusting God more. Sometimes I pray more, other times I distract myself with family or work. Yet all of the time God’s gentle, relentless voiceless Voice breathes deep within, “Be still and turn to me”. What I’ve come to learn is in times like this if I just become still, my mind is drawn to ‘the story’ and focuses on the overwhelming feeling that’s tossing me around like driftwood on a storm tossed wave. It’s the ‘turn’ within the stillness that changes everything. To turn toward God, means I must turn from the story and the feelings associated to it, releasing my white knuckle grip on fear and my small reality. In a simple moment, that gentle inner ‘turn’ creates the space for faith to move, for the to Spirit breathe and trust emerges. I can not will the ‘overwhelm’ away. I can not muster up trust. I can only choose to be still and let my mustard seed of faith prompt me to turn. For in that turning, God calms the strongest waves and transformation happens.
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Lean In, Lighten Up and Let Go Practices for a Deeper Commitment to the Contemplative Life by Contemplative Outreach, Mary Dwyer: This retreat encourages a life of prayer and practice, both “on the chair” and in daily life. It will support you in making a deeper commitment to your relationship with God, and strengthen your ability to live the contemplative life through dedication to prayer and practice, all within the normal routines of everyday life.
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