David Stack
City: Milwaukee / Wauwatosa
State: WI
Languages: English
Personalized Affiliation: Christianity
Spiritual Spheres: Christianity, Eco/Nature-based, Interfaith, Spiritual but Not Religious, Spiritual Independent
Affinity Groups:
Category:
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 414-491-0927
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidmstack
Focus Area: Corporate/Workplace, Education, Elderly/Mature, Enneagram, Men's Issues, Mindfulness/Meditation, Non-Traditional Healing
Social Media:
Profile: Specialties: spiritual but not religious, male spirituality, men’s work, healing, charismatic renewal, pilgrimage, nature, labyrinth, SoulCollage®, Death Doula, Bruno Groening Circle of Friends.
Your life is a sacred journey. Some moments contain mountain top experiences, others seem more mundane. All of your experiences are important because they are part of who you are.
Would you like to have greater clarity about how the various pieces fit together, especially from a spiritual perspective? If so, I invite you to share stories from your life so that we can explore them together. I’ll listen and reflect back what I hear you saying. I’ll also ask questions that will lead the conversation toward deeper understanding of your underlying thoughts and feelings.
This is a non-judgmental process and we will proceed at whatever pace you are willing to go. We can meet either online, or in person. There is no charge for a first meeting for us to get to know each other a bit. If we decide to continue meeting together, my usual fee is $60 for connecting online. I welcome you from whatever faith tradition you have or don't have.
I am a graduate of the Spiritual Direction Training Program at the Siena Retreat Center in Racine, WI and have additional training as a SoulCollage® Facilitator and Death Doula . I am a devotee of labyrinths and pilgrimages and walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain in 2023. I also have a background in information technology, higher education administration and non-profit management. My spiritual roots are in the Catholic Church, particularly the charismatic renewal and I am a member of the Bruno Groening Circle of Friends, a non-denominational organization dedicated to promoting healing on a spiritual path.
I appreciate that you have taken the time to read this profile, and I offer to you the following meditation.
Walking in the Desert – Guided Meditation
David Stack
Broken Bow, OK
April 2024
Walking in the Desert © 2024 by David Stack is licensed under
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
You walk in the morning and the late afternoon
The sun is too brutal to walk in the middle of the day
So you hole up behind rocks for shade
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
The sand and stones cut your feet
The thorny plants snag and tear your robes
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
You ran out of food two days ago
You ran out of water last night
Your thirst is terrible
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
You smell a village beyond the horizon
Odors of food and latrines and livestock
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
You spy a dark shape at the top of the next hill
A tiny silhouette of a man, standing alone, holding a palm frond for shade
Motionless
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
The shape of the man seems to waver
Probably just the waves of heat rising off the sand
You’ve been walking for days along a narrow path in the desert
The man starts moving towards you
Slowly at first and then faster
You stop and steel yourself
A small old man is running toward you along a narrow path in the desert
His fists are clutching the hem of his robe
Which he has pulled up over his knees so he can run faster
How can such an old man run so fast?
The man reaches you and doesn’t stop
Even though he is small he slams into you
With such force that you’re almost knocked off your feet.
He is your father
And he is hanging onto your neck
Weeping
You stand frozen in place
Finally, sniffling, he lets go and backs away a couple steps and looks at you in amazement
You stare at the ground and start to weep
Hoarsely, you whisper, “I’ve lost everything”
You stiffen, waiting for the blows of his words or his fists or his staff
Time stops
Then your father’s wail splits the air
Bring some water!
Bring some shoes!
Bring a ring!
Prepare a feast!
Invite… Everyone!
The strength ebbs from your body and you drop to your knees
and fall face first onto the sand
A dozen hands raise you up
Arms are criss crossed under your legs and behind your back
They bear you toward the house
You surrender and drop into a deep sleep
