A Difficult Decision and Unexpected Gifts

By Jen Thompson
SoulStream Partner

Wondering if you should take Living from the Heart?

Before I took the Living from the Heart course in 2018-19, I had the same question. I am a busy mom and a full time employee. If I was to make a pro/con list at that time, I would have deferred taking the course to a more conducive season of life. I convinced myself of that many times. But, despite all my rational objections, I couldn’t shake the persistent and compelling sense that this course was the “next right thing.”

I can see now that my hesitation came from fears and insecurities. I was new to contemplative spirituality, certain I couldn’t write a good reflective paper, afraid that in group settings my introverted self would be overwhelmed, wary of being vulnerable and suspicious of false intimacy. Yet the spark of interest in the course kept growing.

I ended up registering for the course at midnight of the closing day, and even then my husband had to press the ‘send’ button. I just couldn’t, so great was my fear.

It took great intestinal fortitude to show up on the first day. I trusted that God would not lead me astray in this and entered into the process. I opened myself to new ideas and ways of thinking and wrote from my heart. It became a safe place to ask questions and hold longings that are hard to articulate.

As I sat with strangers and we talked about our longings and frailties, the thin ice I thought I was on was shown to be solid and sure. By the way, these “strangers” are now my soul sisters, and we continue to meet regularly. We are deeply invested in one another, and there’s nothing phony about it.

God used Living from the Heart to bring me to a new understanding of God’s love and deep care for me. It changed how I think about God and relate to others. The course was a gentle companion as I navigated the business of life, career, and family.

Living from the Heart breathed life in me that I didn’t know I needed. It was an unexpected gift that continues to reveal itself daily.