Key Relationships, Transparency, and Faith

[Deana Burnham]

Key relationships are very private for me to talk about. But I appreciate the value in participation! My question would be to ask how one can approach this in an effective contributing manner without misusing the forum.

I feel that transparency and having faith that this is a great space to explore how the Holy Spirit is speaking to my heart (and growing it for the people He has given to me and I to them) is an important part of holy discernment regarding key relationships.

If anyone has some insight on this or can expand on it, I would feel very thankful.

Sister Deana

[Danny]

Sister Deana,

Thank you for entering into this space. It is intended to be a safe space to share. The only misuse would be to judge or criticize one another. I monitor that closely. Otherwise, this forum offers us the opportunity to express our thoughts, desires, joys, hurts, pains, and fears. Through sharing, we discover healing. Our health is nurtured through in relationship.

God seems to scatter “bread crumbs” along our pathway to reveal His gifts to us. We may see those hints in the lives of those we admire. What characteristics attracts us to the individual. The old saying, “Opposites attract” doesn’t apply here. In these cases, what attracts us to others is often a reflects of God’s gift to our spirit. Also, we can look at stories about Jesus that are particularly attractive to us as individuals. Again, looking at the character illuminated in that story may offer a hint of the gift the Holy Spirit has planted in us. Thirdly, looking inside self, considering something that you did and realized it was good and satisfying to your soul. What personal strengths were used to accomplish that task (regardless of how “great” it may have been or if for a long or short time), those strengths offer glimpses into the gifts of God.

Again, thank you for your post and I pray that you feel welcomed to express yourself fully.

In Him,
Fr. Dan, OSB

[Tom Benson]

I find that being authentic and true to myself is to share in a way that speaks to my heart, my intent and God’s revelation in my life. I am open to share myself with others knowing God is present and will use any of what I am inspired to share for His purposes and not mine. I can only share from my experience and of course honor the dignity and identity of others who should remain protected, however the experience can still be shared from my perspective and as to what God has revealed to me through and in that experience.

[Margaret Hoggard]

Sr. Deana, thank you for opening this meaningful discussion on an important topic. For me, the reassurance that the forum is a safe place to share is comforting, and like Tom, I hope that sharing my authentic experiences and spiritual revelations and challenges is fruitful. That being said, the advice I used to give my writing students on assignments dealing with personal narratives and reflections is not to feel compelled to share anything they wanted to keep private. This course offers a range of possible topics for reflection that can lead to development of a meaningful rule of life, and I hope that you find a way to reflect that is most meaningful for you.

God bless you,
Maggie

[Deana Burnham]

Dear Abbot,

I have tried to delete this post and several others. It shows they are deleted, but then I am routed back to another format
where I can still view the posts.
I can neither delete them here or on Google.
Amazing that this is what I dreaded might happen, or something similar.
Now, I think trusting anything on the internet with anything significantly personal is just unwise.
Hope I am wrong, but from here, it feels I’d better learn from this lesson.

Thank you, Abbot, for assuring me that you’re having the right parties correct the problem.

Sr Deana

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