Book Review: Journey to the Heart

What I love about Journey to the Heart by Frank Jelenek is how naturally it connects with the heart of spiritual direction and contemplative play. The book teaches children that silence isn’t empty, it’s a space where God can be noticed. The practice of choosing a “secret word” becomes an anchor, much like the way spiritual direction helps us hold stillness and listen more deeply.

Instead of filling every moment with activity, the book invites letting go, allowing thoughts to drift, creating space for presence. In that “negative space,” children learn the very skills spiritual direction nurtures: listening inwardly, noticing what emerges, and discovering that prayer is not performance but relationship.

It’s a beautiful reminder that even the youngest among us can meet God in stillness, and that play doesn’t always mean doing more. It can also mean making space to be.