Stories from The Healing Path (Part 2)
How do you find community on The Healing Path? Many of us seek guidance from others while navigating our healing journeys. After the release of CAC faculty member James Finley’s new book, The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation, we invited several members of the CAC community—Richard, Lucy, and JN—to share their reflections of the book with us—and with you.
James Finley writes, “May each of us continue to deepen our heartfelt trust in knowing that God will and already is bringing the healing journey of our lives to completion.”
We hope you’ll find a deeper connection to God and others through these stories from the healing path.
How would you describe your own healing path?
Richard: A visit to hell followed by God’s grace. I got exactly what I didn’t deserve — a life beyond my wildest dreams. I followed the spiritual breadcrumbs that showed up along the way — James Finley and Richard Rohr are two of those crumbs — and here I am, fully alive and awake for the first time.
Lucy: My healing path has been a rather wonderful, if reluctant, journey of discovery that seemed to start after the death of my son. But now I realize it had been rumbling along much before that. My healing was catapulted into action after discovering the Turning to the Mystics podcast, for which I am extremely grateful.
JN: I would describe my healing path as gentle and gradual, then chaotic with unexpected detours. Looking back during the tumultuous times, I experienced an unexplainable peace that sustained me. In reflecting on these chapters, I can see the circular nature of the healing path. At the time I was not consciously aware of how God was so deeply enmeshed in all of it. From an early age, I received solace from Mary and the rosary.
In the last quarter of my life, it’s comforting to know nothing was for naught. Reading The Healing Path has given me deep peace that I should not fear what’s to come.
What were some of your “ah-ha” moments from the book, “The Healing Path?”
JN: There were many small “ah-ha” moments, however, the biggest was the realization of how our everyday activities are sacred and God-filled. Finley’s quote: “Then it dawned on me that the contemplative way of life is not dependent on the monastic life that nurtures and protects it. I could cultivate a contemplative culture in my heart by fidelity to a daily quiet time where I could learn from God how to love and be loved by God.”
The gift to be able to live each day in the depth of God’s love is beyond words — what an extraordinary insight for the ordinary activities in our life! It’s as simple and mysterious as that.
Richard: I have read and listened to an extensive amount of spiritual material. For me, this book is a refresher of other “ah-ha” moments, such as Jim’s line, “trauma was the opening through which God accessed me.”
Lucy: The lines “the art of active waiting as a spiritual practice consists of a willingness to do what one needs to do when the grace to do it is given,” and “learning not to do violence to the fragility of our waiting,” helped me to stop interfering with the process. They also explained my grieving process in many ways and encouraged me to have more trust.
What was the most challenging chapter in “The Healing Path” by James Finley?
Lucy: Refuge. I found the shattering of the haven difficult to read. The frankness of the narrative was profoundly moving. At a certain point in my life, I blocked my emotional response because, in a manner of speaking, I had to make supper and it turns out better if I’m not filling the pot with tears. The chapter left me reflecting on the horrors of life, and the endless possibilities for something better.
JN: The most challenging chapter was The Refuge. I could feel to my core the utter disappointment James must have felt by leaving and starting over. I don’t understand people who can mask evil in the cloak of kindness and trust. The horror of it all was revolting. The challenge is monumental — to endure these injustices and not be filled with rage and bitterness.
The alcoholism in James’s home life is related to my experience with family alcoholism. The challenge is seeing God in all this evil and chaos.
Richard: Some chapters were more emotionally charged and draining than others, especially chapters one and seven. I felt compassion for the young man, betrayed by those most entrusted with his mental and physical safety.
The Healing Path: A Memoir and an Invitation can help spark or sustain your own healing journey. Learn more and order a copy from the CAC online Bookstore today! Purchasing from our online bookstore is an easy and effective way to support our mission to journey together on the Christian contemplative path of transformation.
Join us for a one-day online retreat with The Healing Path author James Finley! Can you follow the thread of your own healing journey? Sign up for Healing Stories: Finding God’s Presence in Trauma, Aug. 26, 9am–5pm PT. Space is limited to create a more intimate online experience.