Journey with a Giant

Journey with a Giant

Season One

Discover

Month One | Awaken

Dream, Plan, Prepare

My introduction to the idea of spiritual giants was profound. It was as if I were a child standing out in the cold, looking in the windows at a world full of color, sound, warmth, and wonder. As amazing as my walk with God had been for my first fifty years, this was an invitation into something I had only felt a longing for, without knowing what it was I had been missing. Here were people who lived in a way I wanted to learn how to do. Voices calling me deeper.

—Chris Slabbekoorn, spiritual director (Giant: Hadewijch of Antwerp, poet, mystic, 1200–1260)

Steps Along the Trail

As you take the first steps of the journey, remember to start slow, using the focus points below as a guide:

☐Choose your giant.

☐Become familiar with the trail guide.

☐Decide how you will begin your journey and set your focus for the month.

☐Complete the weekly journal prompts and the trail guide.

Journey with Fred

Check out these resources if you’ve chosen Mister Rogers as your giant:

• I’m Proud of You: My Friendship with Fred Rogers by Tim Madigan

• A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood, 2019 film

Trail Guide

Focus: What is your primary focus for this month? How is God directing your journey?

Media: What are you reading, watching, or listening to as you engage with your giant this month?

Quotes: What meaningful quotes would you like to remember from this month?

Experiences: What new places, activities, or events are you experiencing this month because of your giant?

Faith: In what ways has your giant drawn you closer to God this month? What spiritual practices have you engaged in as a result of your giant journey?

Sticky Points: What questions or topics might you want to explore more later?

Week One

Choosing a Giant
As iron sharpens iron,
so one person sharpens another.

—Proverbs 27:17

A giant can come from any area of your life. He or she just needs to be someone who inspires you, exhibits characteristics you greatly admire, and possesses sincere Christian faith. You can trust the Spirit to guide you to the person you most need to learn from in your current season, whatever it may be. Even if you don’t feel complete clarity about the giant you’re drawn to choose, remember that many times God is working in ways we don’t fully understand. He can use anyone and anything to transform our hearts and renew our minds.

After years of walking with different giants, I started keeping a list of powerful heroes of the faith who I thought I might want to journey with one day. I had grown accustomed to sharing life with spiritual companions, taking them my questions and fears, and letting their lives speak into mine. Before learning this practice, I navigated my Christian walk with an individualistic mindset; now I felt lonely without a giant by my side.

I was led to Mister Rogers after viewing a film about his life. Inspired by the powerful way he lived, his love for people, his slow way of talking, his gift of listening, his deep faith, I was eager to know more. I knew the Spirit was nudging me to learn from this amazing man.

For you, the giant you’re called to might be someone from history who fascinates you, someone you read about in a book, or someone you heard mentioned on a podcast. The person you choose should also be someone who has completed their race. In other words, just like the spiritual giants in Hebrews 11, your giant for this journey must be someone who has already passed on to heaven.

After you’ve completed your first giant journey, you can always come back to the beginning and choose a new giant. One of the joys of this practice is that it will be vastly different with each new faith hero you pick. So don’t worry too much about choosing the “right” person for your first journey.

Here are a few basic guidelines to help you narrow down your choice: First, ask God to give you wisdom and lead you to the giant He has chosen specifically for you. Second, think about what characteristics you find yourself eager to grow in, what purpose or calling you’ve been sensing from God, what wounds have been keeping you in dysfunctional patterns, and what diverse voices you’ve been longing to learn from to broaden your own perspective.

Once you clarify your longings, calling, and struggles, research the believers of the past who may have wrestled with similar things. Imagine how God might want to shape you through the example of a faithful believer who has gone before you and whose life could inspire you to become who He created you to be. Think of it this way:

• If your heart burns for world peace, what if you spent a year with Martin Luther King, Jr.?

• If you’re a woman in authority, what would you give for a year at Queen Elizabeth II’s side?

• If you’re a mother longing to pour God’s love into your children, what would it mean to have a year with Susanna Wesley or Ruth Bell Graham?

• If you’re an artist struggling to do your work well, what would the transformation within you look like after spending twelve months immersed in the wisdom and creativity of Madeleine L’Engle, Bach, or Michelangelo?

• If you’re called to courageous leadership, what could you learn from a year with George Washington, Desmond Tutu, or Harriet Tubman?

To spark ideas, review the list below and circle anyone who appeals to you. These are just a few of the many worthy spiritual giant candidates you might choose, so don’t feel as though you have to pick someone on the list. As I mentioned in the introduction, you’re also welcome to journey alongside me, with Mister Rogers as your giant. The principles will be the same.

Possible Spiritual Giants

A. W. Tozer

Abraham Lincoln

Augustine of Hippo

Black Elk

Brother Lawrence

C. S. Lewis

Catherine Booth

Charles Spurgeon

Clara Swain

Corrie ten Boom

D. L. Moody

Dallas Willard

Desmond Tutu

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Dorothy Day

Edith Schaeffer

Elisabeth Elliot

Eric Liddell

Eugene Peterson

Evelyn Underhill

Fannie Lou Hamer

Fanny Crosby

Francis of Assisi

Frederick Douglass

Friedrich von Hügel

George Washington

George Washington Carver

Hannah More

Harriet Tubman

Henri Nouwen

Hildegard of Bingen

Howard Thurman

Hudson Taylor

John Calvin

Jonathan Edwards

Josephine Butler

Julian of Norwich

Katharina von Bora

Madeleine L’Engle

Martin Luther

Mother Teresa

Norman Vincent Peale

Oswald Chambers

Queen Elizabeth II

Rich Mullins

Sojourner Truth

Susanna Wesley

As you continue to reflect on your choice of giant, consider these additional questions:

• Is there anyone else from history who fascinates you and who you’re eager to learn more about?

• Are there any real-life people that you’ve read about in books or seen in movies who profoundly inspire or intrigue you?

• Have any Christians you greatly admire “shown up” in your life one way or another more than once lately?

Is one name flashing in neon lights? If not, that’s okay. Give it a little more time and prayer, and observe over the next few days who rises to the top. Wanting to choose the right person can feel unsettling, but try not to worry. Hold the process lightly and allow God to guide you to the giant He has chosen for you.

When you finalize your choice, write your giant’s name on the line below.

My spiritual giant for this journey will be

__________________________________.

Journal

• Why did you choose this giant? What drew you to him or her? What characteristics, passions, accomplishments, or struggles led you to this choice?

• What three things are you most interested in gleaning as you walk with this person?

• What is your prayer for your journey?