I know it can be difficult and awkward sometimes to have meaningful conversations with loved ones. My experiences have helped me see that having more meaningful conversations with others can decrease my sense of loneliness. That's why I put together “One Hour with Your Soul Stories.” The next time you have coffee with a friend or spouse or other loved one, try asking and answering these questions. Don't worry about answering them perfectly. Your conversation may wander around these questions and you might not get to all of them. That's okay!

Let me know how it goes!

Where have you seen God working in your life over the past week?

Where would you like to see God working in your life in the coming days?

What questions are you asking God right now?

What are you waiting for right now?

What is breaking your heart right now?

What do you think God is calling you to right now?

I describe soul stories as stories that touch our souls and the essence of who we are in some way. Our lives are made of stories. But some of our stories are more foundational to who we are, who we have become. Our soul stories are the stories that form us and impact how we interact with God, others, and ourselves.
What is one of your current soul stories? Where do you see a beginning or a middle or an end?

Follow the part of the soul story that you can see now--Where does it take you in your past? Where will it take you in the future?

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Charlotte’s writing and work are rooted in noticing how art helps us belong to ourselves, others, God, and the world. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. You can subscribe to her newsletter and connect with her onTwitter and Instagram.