What kind of relationship do you have with God? Is God as close as your breath, or does God not even exist? Does the Divine remind you of Her presence every day, or is She distant and judgmental? Is the Sacred found in the trees and sky, or is He present in the connections we have with the people around us? Or all of the above?
(This column was included in the Spirit Renewal Center {Chelmsford, MA} newsletter of April 2015.)
If you are curious to explore and deepen your connection with God – however YOU understand God – I would love to work with you. My name is Carrie Little, and I am an Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Coach. My calling is to sit with folks just like yourself and provide space and tools for you to get to know the Divine. I am blessed to feel God’s presence in my life; I believe that everyone can have their own direct experience of God.
Let me share where I’m coming from. I ordained as an Interfaith Minister in 2013. The “interfaith” part means that I am comfortable approaching discussions of spirituality from any faith tradition, a mix of traditions or no tradition. I believe all spiritual paths pursued with integrity and love lead to the same Truth.
Spiritual direction is an honored tradition in many religions, including Buddhism (where the term is kalyana mitta), Ancient Celtic Christianity (anam cara), modern Catholicism and many others. The term ‘spiritual director’ can imply a step-by-step process that is one-size-fits-all, but the reality is more of a ‘peer guide,’ ‘mentor’ or ‘companion.’ Think of a good friend walking down a path with you, occasionally pointing out a flower or tree and saying, “Hey, did you notice this? What do you think about this?” This is the attitude of spiritual direction. Each sign points toward God, and I enjoy helping you notice the signs.
It is my belief that our experiential knowledge is as important to share with the world as any formal training we receive. That is why I am open about my personal medical history, including cystic fibrosis (CF), diabetes, minor depression, chronic sinusitis and a bilateral lung transplant. This life experience of chronic / terminal illness, disability and survival allows me to bring to the table gut-level knowledge that many other ‘helpers’ – spiritual or not – cannot claim.
I am so grateful to Tiffany at Spirit Renewal Center for allowing me a beautiful space in which to see clients and host workshops. I will be providing several services based on demand. First and foremost, I am a spiritual director. In that role, I would see you, the client, for an hour once a month on an on-going basis, exploring your relationship with God. If you are with me in the life experience of chronic or serious illness, I would suggest spiritual coaching, where we will combine the typical spiritual direction with an element of “how does/did God work in and through my illness?” Workshops will be available on a regular basis around such topics as ‘spiritual practice with chronic illness’ and ‘making meaning of surviving serious illness.’ Workshop dates and times will be posted on the SRC calendar (the first will be later this month). You can contact me through the SRC website or via email at rev@revcarrielittle.com to make an initial appointment for either of the individualized sessions.
I am always learning, and I recognize that there are aspects of service to which I am called and duties of business that others enjoy more than I do. If you feel aligned with my calling and would like to support my work in a back-stage sort of way, please contact me.
Thank you all for this opportunity to serve you. I look forward to meeting and working with as many of you as possible.
With blessings,
Carrie
Rev. Carrie Little, Interfaith Minister and Spiritual Coach
As a note for my broader audience, I am also seeing clients at Chelmsford Wellness Center, Chelmsford, MA; San Damiano House of Prayer, Lowell, MA; and via Skype for those who are outside of the Lowell / Chelmsford, MA, area.
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