Looking to your own #spiritual development/health

When the other half started full time Rev'g as a curate what came with that for her were regular development sessions with her training incumbent, diocese organised courses and learning through her own preparation for sermons and various others on the job experiences.

She is also actively encouraged to go on retreat regularly and to meet regularly with a spiritual director. 



For my own spiritual development so far I've tended to follow various christian blogs and attend a couple of 1 day events a year.  But this didn't leave me feeling as though that was enough.  And then it occurred to me that my role as the vicars other half was maybe the practical spiritual education and development experience I ought to make the most of.  

Running with that thought its struck me that the reality of being the other half has a number of experiences to ponder as spiritual lessons - particularly in terms of observing my own reactions and emotions when faced with:

1) Being introduced as the husband of xxx - your identity being through the wife's role;

2) People talking to you to get a message to your other half;

3) Observing the wife as she inhabits a role of authority in a community - and the effects of that in terms of her views being challenged;

4) Going along to the wife's work social events where the other Revs are all sharing Vicaring war stories and you act as a listener rather than a story teller;

5) Seeing the pressure that often goes with her job and the effect that has on your and her interactions.

I've only just started thinking about these experiences and the spiritual lessons they afford.