Welcome Autumn. The change in seasons always fascinates me, especially in autumn. I am in awe of God's creativity. I long to linger here in the beauty of autumn. I believe I have missed the brilliance of this season for many years. Life rhythms were crowding out the awe and wonder of lingering here. As I stare out my office window, I am beginning to see and experience autumn. Leaves are ever so slightly changing colors. Some are falling quickly to the ground. Decorated front porches with pumpkins and fall decor. Temperatures are quickly changing. Behind all the display of creativity and awe, the Master Artist lovingly created His breathtaking creation for us to enjoy!
Pausing to notice takes time. It requires reflection. It invites us to be curious.
"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Ecc 3:1
Welcome to Holy Pause! If you are new here, welcome. I am glad you stopped by today. My name is Tracie! I am a trained Spiritual Director and I LOVE holding space for others to share their story. My passion is to see others walk closer and closer with Jesus and for them to feel seen, heard and deeply loved right where they are. When we pause to notice and pay attention (to linger), and we allow others to journey with us in our pausing, we make room for God to do a mighty work and bring healing and wholeness. I have seen it over and over again in my own life and many others.
I offer a group called Discernment Group and one-on-one spiritual direction for women to join that long to have others hold space for them to feel seen, heard and deeply loved. If you want to learn more about either of these offerings, click the link below.
https://www.holypause.com/offerings. Feel free to reach out with any questions.
Learning to linger is a spiritual practice. It was new to me a few years ago. After having experienced a very difficult and long season a few years ago of disappointment, hurt, anger, sadness, and grief, the Lord invited me to pause. To linger. To pay attention to what was going on inside of me and around me. He was inviting me to discernment. A very important practice in our spiritual journey. When we learn to pause, we can better discern and hear God's voice.
Remember when Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand? His fear of being found out caused him to flee to Midian. He was out in the fields tending the flock one day and God decided it was time to get his attention. He had a word for him. He was inviting him on a journey!
In Exodus 3, we learn that something miraculous happened. Scripture says,
"He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush."
This burning bush did in fact get Moses' attention. It was time for Moses to pause. Linger with the Lord. Wait. Make room for Him to speak. Listen. Be still.
"So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Exodus 3:10.
We all have moments in our lives that the Lord is inviting us to linger. I am just curious if we take the time to linger long enough to hear His invitations. Those long years of disappointment eventually led to a burning bush moment in my life. As I look back, I was not paying attention. I was running. I did not want to face my hurt and disappointment until the Lord placed three burning bush moments in my life and I faced a crossroads. Let's be honest, who wants to welcome pain and disappointment.
This is what the LORD says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. But you said, ‘We will not walk in it.’ Jeremiah 6:16 NIV
It was time to linger. To pause. To walk in the ancient path. A holy and sacred session with my leadership coach last year, was a turning point in the invitation to pause as I noticed my own burning bush moment. After I shared my story, she invited me to maybe take the afternoon and linger with Jesus. Maybe go to a park and spend some time inviting Jesus into a very tender place. Imagine Him sitting with you. Talking and being with you. Share your heart. Allow Him to guide and lead me.
What happened in that time was transformational for this long journey. It was time I go through the pain instead of running from it. There is only one way to go through something and that is to go through it. As I shared with my leadership coach and the Lord, I felt seen and deeply loved.
John of the Cross calls this the 'Dark Night of the Soul'. What happens to most of us is we want to bypass the dark night of the soul. It's too much. It's too hard. It hurts too bad. But what we forget is that Jesus invites us to go through our dark night because on the other side of the dark night is freedom! He showed us that when He faced the Cross. There was one way to freedom and it was the Cross.
I wouldn't trade those burning bush moments for anything. Once I decided to Linger with Jesus and hear His gentle whispers that day at the park, I found freedom. I found HIM. I found a deeper journey of trust to go with Him through my dark night of the soul. I found He wanted to teach me more about Him that day. His desire to carry me through this pain and stop going around it and bypassing it brought some breakthrough in my life. I couldn't carry myself through it but He could. We were never meant to carry ourselves into places of spiritual freedom. He came to do that for us. His arms are wide open, welcoming us. Life is full of so many disappointments and things that we may never understand. Healing takes time and our Savior is patient and kind and gentle and full of compassion.
Take a few minutes and listen to this powerful song about Being Kind to Yourself~https://youtu.be/sYiM-sOC6nE?si=kVdfEnZQcwTKQaFo
I wrote this poem for my leadership coach after our time together as a reminder to linger with Jesus in whatever season I am in. The good, the hard, the messy and the beautiful.
He has something to say when we pause and linger with Him and I don't want you to miss it!
Linger with Jesus
It was a gentle invitation
Every time we met.
As we go today
Take this
Thought or
Question
And linger with Jesus.
Linger.
Time to
Be.
Listening
To what He might
Say.
Lingering with Jesus
Is a posture
Of Openness,
Hands
Heart
Ears
Soul.
I smiled.
You invited.
You knew
Time with Jesus
Lingering
Changes everything.
May I Linger
With Jesus
More and more.
Thank you.
The gaze is fixed
He is inviting me
To Linger.
Written by Tracie Tackett
How do we linger with Jesus? Lingering with Jesus can be an extended pause in soaking in the sunset or the beautiful changes of seasons. Maybe it is choosing to listen to a friend instead of doing the talking. Maybe it is a slowing down a few of your life rhythms. Maybe it is giving a holy yes or holy no to make room for God and others. Maybe it is creating space to experience silence and solitude. Maybe it is taking a few deep breaths and praying as you breathe in and breathe out. "Lord, (Breathe in) Here I am. (Breathe out)", Maybe you take an extended weekend and hike and allow yourself a slower pace. Maybe you pick a verse and just sit with it for 10 minutes and read and reread it over and over again ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you.
Ask the Lord, where He is inviting you to pause and linger with Him?
On the first of each month, I will post an invitation to grow deeper with Jesus. The invitation is to Linger with Jesus. Grab a journal and take a few minutes to sit down and be still. Reflect on the questions. Imagine Jesus being with you. Sitting with you and delighting that you are spending time with Him.
Pause..Pause to notice what is going on in and around you. Jesus is with you.
Where have you sensed God's presence today? Where did you feel joy or love? Where did you experience beauty?
Where are you feeling resistance? Is it a person or situation?
Maybe you read the scriptures mentioned in this post or you read the poem.
Pray...Invite the Lord into a conversation.
Take two minutes to sit in silence. Sit longer if you have time. Listen. Notice. Linger. Take a walk if you feel invited or visit a new park.
Invite the Lord into a conversation. Share what is really on your heart. Come as you are not as you want to be.
Close by being still.
Follow...Help me go where you go.
Is there a next step He is inviting you to take. Remember that you are seen, known and deeply loved by God.
Reach out if you want to learn more about Discernment Groups or One-on-One Spiritual Direction. I would love to chat with you. Companioning others is one of my greatest joys in life.
Grace upon Grace,
Tracie Tackett
Spiritual Director
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