Noticing God in Everyday Life, S1E5

In this episode of The Being Devotionals, LaSaundra Gibson engages in a spiritual direction session with her directee, Lindsay. The conversation explores themes of finding peace through stillness, deepening one's relationship with God, and recognizing God’s presence in everyday life. Lindsay shares her experiences of managing stress, connecting with nature, and serving others, while also expressing her longing for a deeper connection with God through scripture. The session emphasizes the importance of grace, patience, and the journey of spiritual growth.

To learn more about spiritual direction and to schedule a session with LaSaundra, visit LaSaundra.com 

Closing Prayer: Many contemplatives have been inspired by Richard Rohr’s simple prayer of “being” based on Psalm 46:10. 

Transcript

LaSaundra Gibson (01:12)

how are you?

Lindsay Krug (01:14)

Good, so good to see you.

LaSaundra Gibson (01:17)

You too, you too. So how would you like to settle into our space today? What sounds good to you?

Lindsay Krug (01:26)

always like to just, I love it when we just take a moment and just kind of be quiet. That's always good. Gets us calmed down and in the space well.

LaSaundra Gibson (01:30)

silence.

Yeah, okay.

Yeah, absolutely.

All right, let's do that. And then when you're ready to return to our space, then you just say you're ready.

Lindsay Krug (01:57)

think I'm ready.

That was nice. I love it when we do that. well with all the stress and hub-a-bub that I have going on with school and life in general, it's just nice to take a breather and close your eyes and just be still and.

LaSaundra Gibson (02:00)

Hahaha.

Tell me more about that.

Lindsay Krug (02:15)

Just be grateful, you know? It just brings me peace. It calms me. I know we've talked a lot about that in the past, but like it's just nice to just feel like everything is like the anxiety just leaves you, you know? It just, I don't I love it. I've been doing that more, by the way, at work because it's been really stressful just with school and work.

I have a lot on my plate. It's a lot of wonderful things happening, but it's still so stressful. Plus I have to manage, you know, just life in general and, you know, carving out time for my husband, taking care of my mom and my sister and their stuff.

mostly it's because I've been having some really heavy meetings at work because I'm doing a lot of like community service outreach which is wonderful and I feel so good about it but it's stressful because it's not my normal

So I just want to one, make a good impression and I want to be able to continue to do this in the future. So having meetings with that just makes me really anxious. So I just like take a moment to be with God and I just close my eyes and just thank him for, you know, everything he has given me thus far. And just please give me some peace and guidance so I can get through this next 30 minutes or hour meeting, whatever I have going on or

school work or homework or whatever. And it really has helped. Because then I have energy. I'm not like so consumed with anxiety.

It's great.

LaSaundra Gibson (03:46)

It's interesting, I'm hearing that you're holding a lot, a lot of stressful things. They're good But I'm also hearing you say that as you're able to take those moments to pause, that you feel energy and you feel that stress leave.

Lindsay Krug (03:46)

glad I.

Mm-hmm.

I do.

LaSaundra Gibson (04:07)

I was just going to ask, where do you feel that release in your body? How does that feel when you take that pause in your body?

Lindsay Krug (04:15)

Usually it's like in my chest, it's like in my heart, it's in my chest because I hold all my stress like in the center. So then, and like sometimes I'm holding on so tight, like.

I just my whole body is just like so tense and so tight. So like when I am able to release that it's just I'm just like, ⁓ I just feel so good and my mind feels clear. My heart is clear and more open. You know what I mean? So it's just like, I just feel so good and peaceful, not so balled up with energy and more awake kind of, you know, because I'm so like consumed with whatever stressful moment I'm in in the moment that when I just take that moment

to with God and just bring him in. I don't even need to say anything sometimes. I literally just breathe and I'm quiet and I feel him and he knows that I'm there.

and vice versa, so it's great. And I was just thinking about it at work the other day. I'm like, man, this is kind of like what LaSaundra and I are talking about all the time, about just taking a moment and how it really, I feel like I'm really incorporating it into my life and into my being and what I need. And it's really helpful for me.

and I will continue to do it here on out. So.

LaSaundra Gibson (05:32)

love that

you are taking those times to pause and return to your being where you reside, where God resides. And how has that deepened your relationship with God? Because I know in the beginning of our sessions several months ago, there was this desire and this longing to be closer to God. And in your mind, meant, you know,

spending time in your Bible and doing all of these other things which are still important to you. But I'm hearing you also say that you're finding that closeness in just taking these times of pausing to breathe or be silent. So how has that deepened your relationship?

Lindsay Krug (06:19)

Well, I just feel like I don't have as much, like I would feel so guilty for not like carving out that 30 minutes of my day to spend with God and like get to know him in that way.

So like taking those moments and doing things that center me, bring me closer to Him. Like for instance, me saying that I don't even need to say anything to Him when I take those moments tells me that my relationship with Him is growing deeper in that because He knows what I need without me even saying it.

today we went on a hike this morning. The whole family, my in-laws and my husband and the dog Zoe. Love Zoe. But it was nice because we were just, you know, as we've talked in the past, it's just such a place of beauty and peace. And I'm like, ⁓ I get to go on a walk today and talk to the Lord. And I also get to be with LaSaundra and tell her about it. Like, it's just been a good day because I love sharing these things with you because you help.

to also reaffirm that, yes girl, you have a relationship with God. It doesn't have to be this, like such a regimented thing. Like he's everywhere all the time. And so embrace that. And so that's what I've been doing. And it's wonderful. And I love it. So.

LaSaundra Gibson (07:35)

I want to hear more about that hike

and how you were noticing God and what were you experiencing.

Lindsay Krug (07:42)

Well, like, Chuck and I, love,

We also become closer because we talk about what our plans are and then we'll switch gears and we'll be like, it's so beautiful out here, we're so blessed. We are so blessed, we have such a beautiful life and then you just go down that path of just being so thankful to the Lord for everything that he's blessed us with. And it has nothing to do with, like it's just with being and being with each other and having family and being in a relationship with God because we both are in a relationship with God.

it's just nice to be together in that space because I think we both feel it and we feel the Lord in that space together. I don't know, again, it's just that calming and you just are like, man, we are so blessed and we have such a beautiful life and it just fills you with all this joy.

that I don't know, you just want more of it. So that's why I'm taking more pauses during the day because you just want to get back there to feel that calm and that peace and love for that matter, you know?

LaSaundra Gibson (08:45)

I love how nature is another way that you find to return and you said something, get back to, and it's wonderful to know that there's always a place to return to because God is everywhere, even if it's taking a pause, even if it's breathing, because our very breath comes from God, or if it's doing something in nature.

Lindsay Krug (08:51)

Mm-hmm.

Yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (09:14)

That's a returning as it's a reminder that God is active in our life. And that's what I'm hearing you say,

Lindsay Krug (09:21)

Yes.

So I'm part of, ⁓ I work with stroke patients, as you know. And so I, we have a support group and we do it every second Tuesday of the month. And since COVID hit our support group, it's past patients that have had strokes. ⁓ and they all come together and they just talk about how life is going.

how they're dealing with their stroke symptoms or just kind of anything, any questions that they have. And it's been via Zoom. So we all get on this type of platform and talk, but we decided, I was like, we need to bring this back in person. I need to see people. We need to have that like tangible. I want to be able to touch your arm and like give you a hug and like see each other. So we started it. This Tuesday was our first, we called it the hybrid. So we had some survivors that couldn't make

and some survivors that surprised us and showed up. We had like seven people come and I...

was sitting there and just feeling like, thank you Lord for allowing this to happen. Like that was another way that he just kind of like showed me himself. You know what I mean? I was just so, I'm like, this is so wonderful. And I felt so good giving back to my stroke survivors and just being a part of them. made them all homemade cookies and they loved it. They gobbled them down and they were like, thank you so much. And it was just such a camaraderie and such joy in that room because we could all see

each other face to face.

And I was just walking through the hallways like, thank you Lord, man this is so wonderful. I love this so much. I hope we're never going back. It's always gonna be a hybrid now. I don't care. I don't care if another pandemic hits. We'll wear masks. Forget it. Don't care. But it was such a wonderful, I was like, just another way to feel like closer to him, you know? Cause you feel like you're doing like these good

works through him and you and you just feel such joy when people feel joy that we're all together and like you could tell everybody was like thank you so much for bringing this back we needed this so much because people stay in their homes and they don't want to get out and they get depressed and we've talked about that so like bringing it all back and getting them outside and into the world again it was just cool

And I was like, this so great. Can't wait to tell LaSaundra. So. Yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (11:33)

Yeah.

⁓ well, I'm just

beaming listening to you be excited about the ways that you are connecting with God. Because what I'm hearing is this deeper awareness of where God is in your everyday life. You've shared with me about how God, you felt connected to God at your job when you met the stroke patients. You felt connected to God on your hike with Chuck.

Lindsay Krug (11:52)

Mm-hmm.

LaSaundra Gibson (12:08)

you felt connected to God, even in the stress of all that you're juggling with school and work and this community outreach and personal family things. And yet you still felt close to God in those times of pausing. so reflecting back to you as I'm listening and hearing the ways that God is intertwined in your everyday life, which is what is always happening. It's just

Lindsay Krug (12:08)

Yeah.

Okay. Yes.

LaSaundra Gibson (12:37)

helping us to be aware, right? I'm hearing, yeah, I'm seeing that you have now that awareness. What is that like to be able to hear yourself as I'm reflecting back to you, remind and recall all the ways that you are experiencing God just in your day to day?

Lindsay Krug (12:39)

aware of it totally. Yeah.

Well, I mean, I feel like...

It's just such a blessing because I never thought like we've been seeing each other for a year and I'm so thankful for you to have helped me open my eyes to see that because you have really helped me do that. And I tell Chuck that all the time. I'm like, love LaSaundra visits. And I tell my best friend that I'm like, I love it. Like you just spiritual direction. I feel like it's just something like everyone needs. I know it sounds crazy, but like it really is helpful.

And because there are other ways besides just from, we're gonna do the go to church every Sunday, we're gonna carve out time to read the Bible. it's so much more than that. It's so much more than that. And I think I'm grateful that I'm growing in this and it makes me excited to want to grow even further with God. really, and that's what I feel like I've been doing, especially the last, since the last couple of times that we've

really trying to hone that in and be, you know.

kind of in the moment with him, no matter if it's happy or if it's stressful. Like, I can't get through this life without the Lord, you know, either way. So just being thankful and taking a moment to pause and be with him, even if it's two minutes, it's two minutes of peace and joy and love. So, and then I find myself seeking it out more, which is...

what we should be doing. You know? I mean, that's what we do with all of our other relationships. When you feel good and you feel that love and the protection and the warmth and, you know, support, you want more of that. It's like a drug. Like, honestly. But it's wonderful. So I want more. when we first started this, I would probably take pauses once or twice a week. Now I'm taking like six a day.

Like, so, which is great.

LaSaundra Gibson (14:53)

I love it. Yeah.

Lindsay Krug (14:56)

So it's wonderful. I'm gonna keep doing it girl. So,

LaSaundra Gibson (15:00)

Yeah.

How are you as you're holding these things that are stressful and you've been leaning into these connection points that have helped you manage What still feels?

Heavy to you, I feel led to ask that. feels heavy?

Lindsay Krug (15:21)

You're so good.

You always know how to ask the right questions, LaSaundra. I still feel a little heavy about not picking up my Bible more. I really do, because I do feel like, yes, I'm going to church and I feel that, but I I really enjoy reading the stories of the Bible and how Jesus worked in others' lives and...

Right now I just have to give myself the grace that I don't have the time right now. I really don't. And the Lord knows that. I just have to know that He's not gonna be mad at me for like, not that He would ever be mad, but you know what I mean, like that He wouldn't be disappointed that I haven't done that. But it's something I want to do that I just literally right now.

have zero bandwidth to do. So I think I'm holding on to those other connection points where yes, I have my breath prayer and I am putting scripture into my life, but I really wanna sit down like I would read a book, you know, and like read the Bible. And that's something that I've desired to do. And I do feel like since I've met you and I've had this spiritual direction that once I'm done with school and once I'm

done with these like commitments that are time sensitive that I will be able to carve that time out and I want to carve that time out. think I would just like I said before like you said too before I was like if I'm not doing this for 30 minutes this isn't like praying or I'm not fulfilling my it just felt like a role I had to put I don't know which is crazy to say and it shouldn't be that way but now I have more of

LaSaundra Gibson (17:05)

formative.

Lindsay Krug (17:12)

Now I feel like I have more of a relationship and a connection with God. So like I like crave that that wanting to read the scripture whereas before I didn't necessarily do it. It was more of a let me check the box off for the day where now I'm like

I want it. You know what I mean? Like I desire that. That's something I desire. And just right now, it makes me heavy because I can't. I literally have no time for that. So I'm just holding on to what I can hold on to. And that's just as good. And eventually I'll get there. So it'll be okay. Like one of my good girlfriends, I think I told you this last, our last talk that she gave me a devotional. And we've been kind of, our goal was to read it

LaSaundra Gibson (17:32)

Yeah.

Lindsay Krug (17:59)

and then get together once a week and like kind of talk about what we learned and like.

She's in that season now where she's able to read that sucker every day and she so she texts me How she feels every morning every morning

what she's learned about that day, Daily Devotional, with a picture of the devotional. So I read it every day. So I guess I am reading, but...

For me to be able to sit down and return that response and what I've learned, I just can't. But I told her, was like, I love you, keep sending them. She's like, I hope it's not bothering you. No, keep sending them because I do read them. you know.

LaSaundra Gibson (18:38)

Yeah, I mean, I'm

hearing the shift in longing, which is what I'm hearing. There's a longing, a performing and checking the box, which is what it was before. And I don't think we should ignore the longing. That's what your soul wants. Your soul is not lying to you.

Lindsay Krug (18:45)

Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah.

Right. Right.

No.

LaSaundra Gibson (19:05)

And that's, this space is safe to explore what your soul wants and needs. And I hear that. And I want to validate that I hear what your soul is longing for.

So why don't we take a moment? How would you feel about holding that? And I'm holding that with you here in this space, that longing. Let's just take some few moments of silence and see what you noticed, what God shows you. If anything comes up and you would like to share it when we return when you're ready.

Lindsay Krug (19:23)

I that.

LaSaundra Gibson (19:53)

please share, but let's sit with that longing for a moment.

Lindsay Krug (20:18)

I feel like what God was telling me...

Like how I felt in that moment of silence is just like, it's okay. yes, you're longing for these things and you will get them. I do feel a sense of, yes, I am longing for like to get closer by reading the Bible and doing all these things, but I also have a tendency to put a lot of pressure on myself too. And in this moment, I feel, I do feel really good and I'm trying to be better about giving myself some grace. You and I have talked about that a

to. And I feel good about like how I talk to God now. Obviously I want to strengthen that but like taking those moments in time and I just kept I kept going back to like

Like the fulfillment I get from making others, being kind to others and helping others like with my support group and even my relationships at home, like knowing my family so well and knowing what they need. Just.

I don't know, I just feel good and I just go right, I think of God immediately. Like literally when I get all these like happy feelings and I'm like, I just feel so good. Thank you Lord. Like this is through you that I can do these things and be these things for people.

When I took that moment, I literally saw the faces of my stroke support survivors and like my husband for instance like he's also very very stressed out right now and Like this morning like his parents were like hey, we should go out to dinner tonight. I was like well How about I cook and we left it up to Chuck my husband because he's so busy I'm like babe. What do you want to do? And he's like well I guess we can go out, but I could tell I know him very well, and I can tell when he's

And

I said no, we're not doing it. We're gonna stay home, I can tell right now that you have got too much on your plate and it's gonna be too much for you to go out and entertain and you know we're gonna get home late you have to work tomorrow you have to work a 24-hour shift like let's stay home in Comfort in peace. I'll make dinner We'll have some wine and let's just relax and just be you know in the moment like we don't got to go out to get he goes yes done or not going and like in that moment when he said

that he's and he teases me he's like you don't know me and I was like yes I do yes I do

but like that's what I pictured when I took that moment because it brings me, it also brings me peace to know that others around me feel good and are comforted and feel peace and no anxiety also.

That's, you know, kind of what I, in that moment, is what I felt and what I saw. Like, don't be hard on yourself. Don't go back down that road where we're gonna feel like we need to check a box. Because it's not. I do really want to read the Bible, but I want to feel I know my bandwidth and I don't have it right now. So I'm not gonna do it half-heartedly. I want to be all in. You know what I mean? Because I want to be able to learn and I want to be able to take things out of it. I'm just reading it fast.

LaSaundra Gibson (23:22)

What would that look like to you

reading the Bible where you feel that you are learning and you're not half doing this? What would that look like?

Lindsay Krug (23:31)

Yeah.

I mean, I feel like the

lectio divina that you told me about is an amazing way.

to like really learn. You read it first and you read the whatever you're the chapter, whatever you're reading and then you read it again. What stood out to you? Because I've done that several times and it takes some time and I love doing that and I don't want to feel rushed. That is the my worst thing. I do not like to be rushed and I don't want to be rushed in my relationship with God. I don't want to be rushed in my relationship with my friends or my husband. You know, like the people that are closest to you. That's not something that I want to rush.

and I want to learn and I want to out I want to get the most out of the time that I'm spending so like I don't want to just like open it up and go ⁓ Luke chapter blah blah you know what I mean and read really quick I want to be able to soak it up and to me it takes a little bit more time than just you know opening it up really fast

LaSaundra Gibson (24:26)

Yes.

Yeah, I'm hearing you share that you are reading scripture when you read the devotionals that your friend sends you or you do the lectio divina that requires you to read a verse or two or three or however many. It's a meditative way of reading scripture. So I hear that you are, but what I'm hearing underneath it is a desire for a more restfulness to sit in the space and to be able to carve out more time to rest with it.

Lindsay Krug (24:38)

Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (25:02)

and

not just use it as fuel but something that truly is a space that feels as good as maybe sitting with a glass of wine and taking your time and not feeling like you have to rush off somewhere. So I'm hearing more of that desire in the longing to just have a more leisurely time to where you don't feel rushed.

Lindsay Krug (25:12)

Yeah.

Yes. Yeah, that's exactly right.

Yeah. Yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (25:24)

distinguish I think is important because I'm hearing that longing for scripture but then I'm hearing you saying that you do read scripture and you are engaging with it but so now I think we're getting to what's underneath that longing. It's more of a restfulness, more of a leisurely and that's fine too. And so yeah, being able to...

Lindsay Krug (25:33)

I know.

LaSaundra Gibson (25:51)

to see what's really underneath that longing. Does that resonate?

Lindsay Krug (25:57)

absolutely does. Yeah, I mean that's what I want. Like I want to be able to, like even when my girlfriend sends me the devotional, I'm reading it but I'm like...

Fastly rate, you know what mean? Like I'm not if I were to sit down and Really take in what that devotional is telling me I'll remember some things from it but I really want to like be able to How is this gonna work and flip it on my life? Like how could this work for me? Like the questions the devotional asks

how do you see this working in your life like I want to be able to have time to actually ponder that you know kind of like we do here like that's a great question how do I really feel about it but there are times when I don't have time for that which sounds terrible but it's just reality it's life you know but once I can see the light at the end of the tunnel with school is almost over and I cannot wait

So I'm anxious to get that done so that I can do the things I want to do and take the time. Which one of those is getting closer to God and reading scripture. So I'm just anxious. I'm ready to be there. So it'll get there.

LaSaundra Gibson (27:10)

Yeah, I

hear that. I hear that. looking forward to that, anticipating that, but remembering also how you are connected. I appreciate that when we took that time of silence that what you saw were the faces of the people that you love and care for and how God is working in that, how you're noticing God in that.

And so it has nothing to do with not being closer to God or being close to God or not connecting with God. It's a deeper longing to have more leisure and play with God. so maybe is a season to anticipate that, maybe start thinking about what that would look like.

think about and dream about what that's going to look like when school and all of these other responsibilities are done. And I don't know if this is helpful, but it's just something that I saw is just hearing you wanting to rest don't know if a children's...

Bible storybook might be helpful. It may not, but it just came to mind that I could see you engaging with a children's book that's vibrant with colors and it feels lighter. It doesn't feel...

Lindsay Krug (28:15)

Yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (28:26)

heavy and that you're trying to take on a lot of information. It allows you to engage with it in a way that is still you have capacity for. So I just wanted to share that and that's not a homework assignment or anything like that. It's just something that I saw and I thought maybe that's a way right now that you could if you're not wanting to wait until summer or whatever.

Lindsay Krug (28:39)

That's a good idea.

No, thank you.

Sure, sure.

Yeah,

I mean that's a great idea because it is on a smaller scale for sure, but you're still getting scripture and you're still, and it's fun, you know, it's more, you're right, it's more playful, it's more fun, it's more like, ⁓ you know, yeah.

LaSaundra Gibson (29:07)

Yeah, and I think it might feed some

of that longing that I hear underneath your desire too.

I am thankful for the Holy Spirit being with us today and meeting us in this space and for you sharing all those wonderful ways that you're connecting with God.

Lindsay Krug (29:29)

I love this space. It's a great space.

LaSaundra Gibson (29:34)

Do you have a preference for how we close our time today? Or would you just like me to close this in a prayer? Okay. Well, I'll say a short, simple prayer to end our time.

Lindsay Krug (29:42)

That would be perfect. I love it when you do that.

LaSaundra Gibson (29:52)

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know.

Be still.

B.