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Having reviewed the basic model of SoulCare, what concepts do you find the most helpful? Why?
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I find the concepts of Flesh Dynamics and Thinking Vision to be the most helpful. Flesh dynamics in myself bring the humility and connection to the Holy Spirit, in order to understand what God would want me to see in the other person (vision). These two elements are important to me as well because they are not elements present in the therapeutic relationship of my background.
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I think that the model is so intricately woven together that I cannot envision any one or two concepts that are more helpful than the others. For me personally, the look into my own interior world is probably the one that challenges me most. Probably because I am still in the process of identifying someone to help me journey through my own interior world, however, I will continue to embrace for myself, the same concepts that I practice to join the battle for another’s soul as I continue the battle for my own soul.
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The concept I find most helpful in the basic model of Soul care is that as the other person shares their journeying reality, I’m immune with my interior world of what’s happening inside of me. I’m conscious of whats inside of me that could block what the Spirit wants to do in this life. The excitment of God moving in this soul to bring glorious joy to a soul that has been trodden upon by the devil.
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I find these concepts the most helpful: That soulcare begins with someone sharing a journeying reality with me (not my thinking they need help); remembering to tune into my own interior world to face whatever might be blocking the movement of the Spirit in me; the vision we hold for someone is never impacted by things that happened TO them; and lastly what’s alive by the Spirit in someone is more powerful than his/her flesh dynamics. Why are these helpful to me? First, because I am sometimes tempted to offer some kind of soulcare to people who aren’t looking for it. Merely because I think I “see” something going on beneath the surface in someone doesn’t mean there is a desire or openness to having a conversation about it. Second, I often forget to pay attention to what is happening in me as I sit with someone. This can lead to my being unaware of how I’m blocking the Spirit and responding to someone in a fleshly manner. Third, sometimes people share really terrible and sad things that have happened to them. It’s so good to know and depend on the fact that nothing that’s happened TO them can ultimately prevent the Spirit’s work IN them. God’s grace and power can overcome all of our bad experiences and the ugly things done to us. This encourages me to believe in all the good God is up to in someone’s soul as I chat with them. And tied to that is the last concept of knowing that what’s alive by the Spirit in someone is more true and powerful in someone than what’s bad in them. It can be tempting to think that the bad will overcome the good in someone. This inhibits soulcare, for why bother if we think the good has no chance of winning out over the bad in someone.
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- I find the whole basic model is interesting and helpful. It’s a change of paradigm from trying to improve the situation of that person to raising more inner self awareness in the seeker to what God is doing in her life. Through the conversation of soulcare, not only is that person helped, but I also benefited from the caring by being broken before God before he can use me.