Awakening to Wholeness is a series of prompts, reflections, and teachings about how holding the tension of opposites can help us to heal division and experience wholeness. If you feel moved to share your own reflections, we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
This is a guest post by EHoP community member Dianne Schlichting, in response to “Inner Voice, Many Voices.”
Listening to an inner voice is challenging, especially when the decision involves two very wonderful options. Such was the case when, as a twenty-eight year-old young teacher, I felt an inner voice urging me to resign a teaching position that I was immersed in and loving!
At the time, I was helping facilitate a prayer group three hours away from where I taught and was trekking back and forth weekly to serve within the prayer community. I prayed for insight and the strength of that inner voice urging me to move grew. Not having a job to go toward, the prospect of listening to the inner voice was more than a bit frightening. I resigned; felt at peace with the decision, and moved. Now what?
Prayer and spending time in silent conversation with God prompted me to apply for a new teaching position that had recently opened at a local middle school. The position, it turned out, was “made for me!” I would be teaching seventh-graders religion and creative drama. It felt like the inner and outer voices were in harmony: surrounded by noisy adolescents while finding creative ways to share the Love of God brought me to a new place in life. Shortly after beginning the new job, I met my husband, and a year later we were married.
Listening to the inner voice takes practice, but when it occurs, Peace and Gratitude might be two Fruits of the Spirit that one experiences—I know I did and still do!
Join the conversation! If you feel moved to share your reflections—either in response to one of our posts, or on the topic of the wisdom of opposites more broadly—we invite you to email us with the subject line “Wisdom of Opposites” or tag us on social media with #EHoPWisdomOfOpposites.
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Dianne Schlichting
Dianne is a member of EHoP; she and her husband John value the opportunity to share contemplative prayer and outreach with others who make the House of Prayer their spiritual home. Dianne is a wife, mother, and grandmother who loves spending time in nature, especially canoeing with John.
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