By Eunhyey Lok

A few months ago, I participated in an online challenge sponsored by Sungshim and John Loppnow through their Presence and Practice ministry. During the coaching, I was struck — almost shocked — when Sungshim urged us to “not separate God from our bodies” (paraphrase). She guided us in how to accompany what we sense in our body, then invite God to care for us. It felt radical and simultaneously so obvious.

Since that moment, I have paid more attention to how situations feel in my body. I became aware that I often “shush” my body in order to get things done; or, rush my body onto the next chore. The moments when I did turn and had compassion on what I was feeling tended to be the harder times. My need for peace and comfort drove me to seek solace from this practice.

We all endure periods when God feels absent, times when God’s presence is a faint echo. When I was younger, I needed more tangible and forceful indicators to accept that Jesus was still with me: a warmth in my chest, a sense of something blanketing me, a feeling of a voice that cut through the noise. More recently, I have relied on stillness and silence to deliver me into God’s presence. But these ways, while still beautiful and valid, seemed to weaken when confronted with intense emotions. 

On the other hand, attending to my embodied emotions with Jesus has more consistently demonstrated to me that God cares for and is truly with me. This practice has deepened my trust in God as Immanuel and illustrated the reality of this verse from Psalm 23:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil, for you are with me…”

Now, when I fear or rage or grieve, I feel more welcome to hold space for the turbulence. Now, I know that Jesus will join me in caring for what still hurts. Through attention to embodied emotions, I have gained just that much more trust that Jesus truly is still with us.

Eunhyey Lok (eunhyeylok.com) is a spiritual director, licensed marriage and family therapist and ordained pastor who specializes in working with Asian Americans, as well as leaders of ministries and international NGOs. Eunhyey is based in Los Angeles with her husband and son, but keeps her Minnesota roots alive through frequent visits to her hometown.