Sometimes I take counsel from a trusted source, but not always.
The counselor may be undercover, perhaps even unaware of the counsel they offer.
Counsel can be difficult to swallow. Or a breath of fresh air. Or another piece of input in the mass of advice that bounces to and fro.
I often wonder about the counsel I offer. About who perceives me to be a counselor. Is my counsel today, or this season, grounded in ego or spiritual maturity or projection or lived experience? Who can really say for sure?
I want to remember the many people from childhood that gave me valuable counsel. But cannot. This I must remember when offering counsel to children. to offer freely, without expectation. But the ego gets in the way of many a counselor – including me.
The prerequisites of counselor are varied. Some are schooled by an accredited institution. Others are schooled in life. Others are inspired by Spirit. But whether licensed, psychological, legal, marital, spiritual, or the ‘unofficial’ sort, true counsel requires an ability to let go. For counsel is a gift.
The gift of counsel, however, is not always packaged neatly and tied with a symmetrical bow. It may be more abstract, less orthodox, part direct, part indirect. It may be a sensation within, a tug of the heart. Counsel may take some time to penetrate the soul.
But I sometimes wonder – am I utterly rigid in the counsel available? Or am I vulnerable enough to take counsel in many vessels?
May we be open this day to counsel in new ways. Amen.
The counselor may be undercover, perhaps even unaware of the counsel they offer.
Counsel can be difficult to swallow. Or a breath of fresh air. Or another piece of input in the mass of advice that bounces to and fro.
I often wonder about the counsel I offer. About who perceives me to be a counselor. Is my counsel today, or this season, grounded in ego or spiritual maturity or projection or lived experience? Who can really say for sure?
I want to remember the many people from childhood that gave me valuable counsel. But cannot. This I must remember when offering counsel to children. to offer freely, without expectation. But the ego gets in the way of many a counselor – including me.
The prerequisites of counselor are varied. Some are schooled by an accredited institution. Others are schooled in life. Others are inspired by Spirit. But whether licensed, psychological, legal, marital, spiritual, or the ‘unofficial’ sort, true counsel requires an ability to let go. For counsel is a gift.
The gift of counsel, however, is not always packaged neatly and tied with a symmetrical bow. It may be more abstract, less orthodox, part direct, part indirect. It may be a sensation within, a tug of the heart. Counsel may take some time to penetrate the soul.
But I sometimes wonder – am I utterly rigid in the counsel available? Or am I vulnerable enough to take counsel in many vessels?
May we be open this day to counsel in new ways. Amen.