"Comfy Couch" — Kayce S. Hughlett

"The greatest spiritual act we can take is to stop and sit down." — Anne Lamott

Author Anne Lamott conjures up images of reality’s home with all its broken shards of humanity, humor, tears, and grief. She speaks of addiction, atheism, unconditional love, family secrets, and the crippling isolation we have each faced at one time or another. During her keynote speech at Seattle University's “Search For Meaning” book festival, she spoke in prose that flowed like poetry, describing those moments in life when we feel safe and connected—when we "dip down into the Spirit" like a mother's breast letting down her milk.
 
Lamott has painstakingly sought to "restore the house of me" and as she restores herself, she offers her resurrection story to us. She brings all her experience–brokenness, faith, humor, irreverence, and self-proclaimed low esteem. She offers it all and generously says, "Come in beloved one. You're most welcome here. Let your sorrow flow as you stop and feel the baptism of tears." When asked her favorite image of God, Lamott described an "emotional acre"— like a comfy sofa, it is the place we invite others and let them simply sit with their pain. We don't push our good ideas on them. We gently say, "Come sit. You're not alone. I'll make you a plate."
 
Following her talk, I was gifted the privilege of sitting down with her for a moment. My plate was already full, my heart sated and the only dessert I hungered for was space. No words. No pressure. I simply wanted to be still with her. She had already served us a banquet and seeking more felt like eating processed cheese with stale crackers after dining on a six-course gourmet meal. Experiencing my pause, she reached and took my hands and said,

"Let's pray. Would that be ok?"

And so, we sat in a makeshift chapel and bowed our heads—Anne Lamott and I—two women with all of our flawed, kooky, irreverent, loving, God-seeking shards of humanity. For just a moment we dipped down into the Spirit as she invited me onto her sofa and offered a plate of divine simplicity.
 
As spiritual directors, is there any greater gift we can offer those who come to us than to say, "Welcome, beloved one. You're most welcome here. Come sit down and I'll make you a plate"?

--Kayce S. Hughlett is a life coach, writer, spiritual director and creative muse. Her personal joy, spirit for living and ongoing exploration of life's mystery insure time spent with her will offer wondrous insight into your own story. She lives in Seattle, Washington with her husband, daughter and fluffy golden cat, Aslan.

Link
Seek and Find: A Worldwide Resource Guide of Available Spiritual Directors

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