Sarah Smithinger, trained spiritual director
Hi, my name is Sarah Smithinger, and I am trained in spiritual direction from SMU Perkins. Maybe you are like me and you did not grow up familiar with spiritual direction. I grew up in a church tradition that focused on God and Jesus more than the Holy Spirit and emphasized the importance of biblical knowledge. Throughout my life, I experienced church hurt, saw my friends theologically vilified, and I doubted God's goodness. You are not alone in your struggle.
I am a spiritual director who brings the gifts of compassionate listening and joy to individuals who desire to be seen and loved as they are for the purpose of co-creating hope with an ever-present God. Just like God asked Adam to co-reate by naming the animals, we are called to co-create hope with God in a world full of hurt, despair, and darkness. Think of spiritual direction like an orchestra: the directee is the musician living out the music, the director is the conductor paying close attention to the music, and God is both the composer and active arranger of your musical life story.
I believe life is grey and cyclical, meaning there are very few black and white issues and progress is not done in linear steps.
- Sarah