Making Space When It Feels Hard

We talk a lot about making space for God as if it’s a simple, quiet thing we can just decide to do.

But for many of us, making space alone is actually one of the hardest parts of the spiritual life.

Distractions pile up. Noise fills the room (and our heads). Productivity values whisper that we should be doing something useful instead. Anxiety hums in the background, making stillness feel unsafe or impossible. Even prayer itself can feel like one more task we’re failing to do “right.”

So we tell ourselves we’ll try again tomorrow. Or when life is calmer. Or when we’re less tired. Or when we feel more spiritual.

And the space never quite opens.

You’re Not Broken; You’re Human

If sitting alone with God feels hard, that doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong. It means you’re human.

We are formed by a world that rewards speed, output, and constant engagement. Of course silence feels awkward. Of course listening feels unfamiliar. Of course prayer sometimes feels inaccessible.

God knows this about us.

Which is one of the reasons spiritual direction has existed in the Church for centuries.

Why Spiritual Direction Helps Us Make Space

Spiritual direction isn’t about fixing your prayer life or achieving spiritual goals. At its heart, it’s simply about making space—intentionally, gently, and with support.

When you make an appointment for spiritual direction, you are doing something powerful:

• You are setting aside real time to be with God.

• You are allowing someone else to hold the container so you don’t have to.

• You are giving yourself permission to slow down, notice, and listen.

You don’t have to arrive calm. You don’t have to know what to say. You don’t even have to feel particularly prayerful.

The space itself does the work.

Together, we pay attention to where God is already present in your life, often in places you might overlook on your own.

Making Space in Gentle, Creative Ways

For some people, silence and words are enough. For others, they aren’t.

That’s why spiritual direction doesn’t have to look only one way.

In my work, I’m open to incorporating creative practices (simple art-making, reflective prompts, embodied practices) as well as reading and wondering together with children’s books.

Stories have a way of bypassing our defenses. Images can speak when words feel thin. Creative practices can open doors that effort alone cannot.

None of this replaces prayer. It is prayer, just offered in forms that meet us where we are.

An Invitation

If you’ve been longing for space with God but finding it hard to make on your own, spiritual direction may be a gift to receive, not a task to add.

I am trained and available for ongoing spiritual direction, and I welcome sessions that include creativity, story, and gentle exploration alongside conversation and prayer.

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

If you feel a quiet nudge of curiosity or desire, I’d love to talk with you about what spiritual direction could look like for you.