Is There an App for Discernment?

My favorite application on the new phone may be the GPS feature. There is something remarkably comforting that my current location and desired destination can be pinpointed at the touch of a finger. The blue dot honing in to identify an exact location, then calculating a route, complete with turn-by-turn directions, trip duration and mileage count, all bring such satisfaction. Sometimes I'll reset the GPS several times over the journey, just to see the blue dot make progress and recalculate.

I wish someone could write an app for discernment.

Wouldn't it be great if at the touch of a button we could know exactly where we are in life, and where it is we want to go? But what about periods of transition, when we feel unmoored and find ourselves in a liminal space? If we aren't sure where we are, or even where we want to be, discernment begins with self-exploration. Discovering, or re-discovering, our identity is a faithful first step in discerning future activity.

Questions of "who am I" or "who are we" are easily bypassed or ignored in times of transition. Anxiety is high in uncertainty, and often we just want to make a decision already. It is satisfying to know where we are going and plot out how to get there. But sometimes leaders are tasked with holding a space for important questions to linger.

Times of transition that invite discernment and probe self-knowledge are invitations to prayer. Centering prayer is especially helpful because our minds are exhausted from examining all the possibilities. In centering prayer one attempts to get behind their thoughts to attend to a deeper presence. Reflecting and understanding are useful, but deep knowing happens at the heart level, where our spirits and God's Spirit commune in ways beyond words.

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