The Gift of Restlessness

<p>No one asks for restless moments. No one wants to feel irritated unsettled or stuck. When pressed into restless seasons in our relationships work or faith we feel the hum: <i>You can't go back but you can't stay here</i>. But what if restlessness is normal healthy and even holy? What if spiritual questions are not problems to be solved but invitations of the soul? And what if spiritual maturity inspires restlessness rather than inoculating us against it?</p><p>Spiritual director Casey Tygrett upends the notion that restlessness is a sign that we must move up move on or move out. Working within the prayerful tradition of writers like Henri Nouwen and Barbara Brown Taylor Tygrett turns over our innermost questions and holds them up to the light. Where do I belong? What am I here for? Is there enough? And he finds a surprising alignment of these restless questions with the prayer that Jesus taught us to pray. In that ancient prayer's pleas for belonging purpose sustenance mending protection and rescue we find freedom to ask basic human questions and permission to befriend our longings. Each chapter offers profoundly spiritual practices<i> </i>that when taken together create a spirituality sturdy enough for our unsettled seasons.</p><p>In a culture that values happiness and self-actualization we often race toward the pat resolution or the quick fix. But in doing so we miss the subtle gifts of unsettled times. Remaining in restlessness rather than rushing toward the next job vacation or partner moves us deeper into the life of the Spirit and our own belovedness.</p>