Anatomy of a Call: Hearing, Balance, and Movement

Stopping To Listen
I don’t know about you, but it is easy for me to think of hearing as a passive act.  However, deep listening often requires us to be intentionally still, which is definitely not easy for me!  Research shows that when we are physically still, our auditory processing is enhanced.  When our bodies are quiet, our brains can better isolate and interpret sound.

Spiritually, the same principle applies.  When we refuse to be still, we can easily get swept up in the “whirlwind” of modern life — the constant pings of notifications, the roar of our own busy schedules, and the inner distractions of our chattering minds.  However, when we are quiet, we are better able to catch the nuances of what God is whispering to us.  In other words, being still is not just about resting; it is about creating the necessary space to focus, trust, and receive God’s guidance.

Balance and the Inner Ear
Another fascinating fact is that our hearing and our equilibrium are interconnected: our sense of balance is literally located in the inner ear.  If we neglect our hearing — by failing to protect it or get it tested, for example— our physical stability suffers, making us more prone to stumbles.

This serves as a profound spiritual metaphor.  When our spiritual “hearing” is muffled by neglect or distraction, our sense of balance in life can get “off,” and we may “misstep” or miss where God is leading us.  As Isaiah 30:21 reminds us, we are promised a voice that directs our path, but we must have the ears to hear it to keep from falling.

Movement Toward Wholeness
While stillness helps us hear, movement helps us sustain that hearing; physical activity improves blood flow to the ears, directly impacting both our auditory health and our balance.

Likewise, God calls us to move into greater wholeness.  To live into this more fully, we must move to serve God, neighbor, and self, living out our discipleship as faithful followers of Christ.  However, in order to move forward in the direction God is calling, we have to hear before we can step into it. 

By using tools like the Ignatian Discernment process found in this month’s Waystation, we can more easily ensure that our movements are not just busy-work, but faithful responses to God’s “still, small voice.”

Reflection Questions for Your Consideration:

• If ‘Shalom’ had a sound in your life right now —a specific voice, a melody, or even a moment of silence—what would it sound like?
• What are one or two small steps you can take this week to amplify that sound?
  

Onward together,

Karen Webster

HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

*Image credit: Canva

Sensing Shalom Through Refocusing Our Lens

In our current rhythm of life these days, many of us find ourselves moving quickly from one responsibility to the next.  Over time, this pace can quietly draw us away from our own bodies.  We begin to treat them as mere vehicles — getting us to work, school, meetings, and other commitments and responsibilities — rather than honoring them as an essential part of the fullness of life God desires for us.

In this state, our vision can become purely utilitarian if we aren’t careful!  For example, it is tempting to look at our calendars to measure our worth, look at our screens to find our information, and look at our neighbors only to see what they require of us.

It is important for us to be mindful of the fact that what we fix our eyes on eventually determines the shape of our souls.  If we only look at what is broken, what is urgent, or what is digital, our internal world becomes fragmented, weary, and impoverished.

Thus, to “Sense Shalom” through sight requires us to refocus our lens, a shift from scrutinizing our lives and the world to beholding them.  For example, we can pause and look at the creation around us by noticing the subtle yet incredibly intricate shape of a flower blossom.
In this moment, we have the opportunity to see it as a sacred gift rather than as a resource. Rather than being filled with anxiety, this simple act can fill us with a sense of greater joy and peace.

It is also important for us to remember that our eyes need physical Sabbath just as much as the rest of our bodies. In an era of “blue light” and endless scrolling, our mental health is tied to our visual focus. When we intentionally lift our gaze from our screens to the horizon, or from our self-critique to the Imago Dei in a stranger’s face, we allow the light of Christ to fill our whole body.

In other words, when we intentionally change what we look at and how we look at it, we begin to clear the fog that can lead to burnout and other health issues.  Plus, we are able to see more clearly the deep interconnectedness of our physical energy, our emotional resilience, our spiritual depth, and the wellbeing of our communities and the creation that sustains us, reminding us that wholeness is never solitary, but shared with neighbor and Creation alike.

As we continue to make our way in this new year, perhaps consider one (or more) of the following:

• When you look in the mirror, do you see a “resource” that must perform, or a “sacred gift” to be cared for?  How might you view your physical body with more kindness, starting today?
• Think of a “difficult” person.  If you looked at them with the “eyes of your heart” instead of your “functional eyes,” what beauty or brokenness might God be calling you to notice?
• Step outside for five minutes. Look for one thing in God’s creation that provides you with no “use” or “value” other than its own sheer existence.  How does acknowledging its sacredness change your stress level?
  

As you move about in the months to come, we pray that the eyes of your heart would be enlightened.  May you see the path ahead not just as a struggle to be endured, but, even more,  as a sacred route filled with the light of God’s presence.

Onward together,

Karen and Travis Webster

HSHC Co-founders

*Image was generated in Canva using AI.