Katie Rea Spiritual Direction

A Lighter Way of Being: Ordinary Time and the Permission to Be Real
Reflection:

Working at the Nashville Rescue Mission included an unexpected gift. At the time, Garrett and I were dating, and my office happened to be only five minutes from his workplace. Occasionally, we would meet for a quick lunch between busy schedules.

One afternoon, Garrett was waiting for me in the parking lot when I walked out of the building. I waved toward his car, but before heading over, I stopped to talk with a group of women congregating on the front steps. Most were either experiencing homelessness, in the addiction recovery program, or both. We chatted for a few moments before I excused myself and headed to lunch. The women waved goodbye, and I waved back.

I apologized to Garrett for keeping him waiting, and we drove off.

Years later, after we were married, Garrett told me that was the moment he knew I was the one. Despite the rush of the day, I had stopped to notice and acknowledge people others might overlook. He said, “You are a genuine people person, and I love that about you.”

What strikes me now is that I wasn’t trying to impress anyone. I wasn’t performing goodness or carefully managing how I appeared. The Mission was one of the few places where I didn’t have to think about whether it was okay to stop and say hello. So, when I walked out and saw people I knew, I didn’t hesitate. I was simply being myself.

That memory feels connected to the invitation of *Ordinary Time: a lighter way of moving through the world. Not a life without responsibility or difficulty, but a life less weighed down by self-monitoring, perfectionism, or the pressure to perform.

Ordinary Time reminds us that we do not have to become shinier, more impressive versions of ourselves to be worthy of love. We are invited to live more honestly and more freely, not Easter perfect or Christmas polished, but authentic and fully human.

Part of what made that moment possible was the environment itself. The Rescue Mission was a place where people could show up honestly. There was room for struggle, spiritual texture, genuine relationships, and meaningful care for one another. Safe spaces have a way of making lightness possible. When criticism softens, and authenticity is welcomed, people begin to breathe differently.

Perhaps that is part of the sacred invitation of this season: to become communities where people no longer feel the need to hide, perform, or earn belonging.

*Ordinary Time is the part of the Christian liturgical calendar that focuses on the life, teachings, ministry, and ongoing presence of Jesus Christ in the everyday life of the Church.

Practice:

Journal Questions

Where in your life do you feel most free to be fully yourself?
What internal pressures or expectations feel heaviest right now?
What helps you feel grounded, safe, and authentic?
Where might you be exhausting yourself trying to perform rather than simply be?
What would a “lighter way” of moving through this season look like for you?
Who are the people or communities that make it easier for you to breathe freely?
Blessing:

May you release the burden of becoming someone else in order to be loved.
May you discover the quiet freedom of simply being yourself.
May safe and gentle spaces surround you with grace.
And may you walk through this Ordinary Time with a lighter heart, grounded in the steady love of God.

This second reflection comes from Katie Rea, a Writing Coach at WTC's School of Spiritual Direction and a 2021 Alum.

https://www.wisdomtreecollective.com/blog/a-lighter-way-of-being-ordinary-time-and-the-permission-to-be-real

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