"Discernment brings us closer to God, and closer to freedom," Brunell said.
Daily discernment is important as it allows us to work on it as a "lifelong project" by exploring our experiences, naming its meaning, and then living that meaning into action.
Brunell first proposed that how we live our lives matters. We are here for a distinct purpose, and it is discernment that can expose the purpose, Brunell said.
Her second point, however, was that who we become as we live our lives matters, and this can only be understood as we stand in relation with God. The inner experience especially can lead to two paths, Brunell said: the one to consolation leading to freedom and God, or the road to desolation, bringing us further from God and closer to enslavement. When you are feeling desolate, Brunell said, it is important to recognize that because it can lead to a downward spiral if it goes unchecked.
To make discernment a habit, one must remain open, continually reflect, and allow freedom to follow, Brunell explained. Some people are afraid to begin discernment because they feel as though they are not "spiritually ready," but this is a misstep, Brunell said.
"The trick here is not to overspiritualize ourselves here," Brunell said.
She said the only prerequisite for this practice is openness of the soul, which will allow for an attitude of attentiveness.
Brunell said that in each of our lives there are many examples of how to live, and she gave the example of her own to young children. She told the story of her son, who received a shovel for Christmas and was so thrilled by the gift that he never wanted to stop shoveling, neither succumbing to sleep nor to boredom. This story, Brunell said, exemplifies the type of zeal for life that all people need, the desire to "never stop digging in our own lives."
Her children have played an instrumental role in her life over the past few years and she credits her time on maternity leave as the beginning of her discernment regarding a return to BC.
She told of the birth of her second child, calling it a "burning bush moment," or an experience that made a direct communication with God possible.
Yet, although she loved her work at Campus Ministry, upon returning to work, something didn't feel right. She loved her time at work in Campus Ministry after the birth and she loved being at home after work to spend time with her children, but she cited a terrible feeling during the hour-and-a-half daily commute. It was something that "made me physically ill," she said, and the sickness began to carry over into her work and home life.
It was at this point that she made use of the daily discernment and came to the decision not to return to school next year.
In a way, Brunnel explained, this practice can be the shovel in our own lives, helping us dig a little deeper to find our interior life that is just below the topsoil.
Spring Break
