what is duco divina?

Living with chronic pain is no easy thing. This “thorn in the flesh” that I must deal with on a daily basis has greatly altered life for me. I’ve ignored it, fought it, and struggled with it. While I continue to hope for a miracle, I do not want life to pass me by. Nor do I want to be defined by it. So I’ve chosen to make peace with it instead, and embrace it as part of “the now” of my life.

Pain is a teacher. Pain is the “darkness” in which I’ve discovered treasures previously hidden. Even the most painful scars, ploughed deep, can burst forth into flowering and fruitful vines. I am made to thrive—not just limp through life!

Lectio Divina (divine reading) is a traditional Benedictine practice of scripture reading that is transformational. Traditionally Lectio Divina has 4 specific steps: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation.

I respectfully add to this list of spiritual disciplines, a fifth: doodling/drawing.

[note: duco divina is a term I coined to help express that intimate connection between art and prayer.]

At the end of the day, duco divina isn’t just about doodling. It’s a call to us all to find that tool/method/discipline that helps us stay focused and engaged in meditation or prayer in our yearning for deeper connection with Truth as well as quality time time with our Creator.

du·co: /’dü-kō/  [dū-kō]
to draw, shape, construct, spend time

di·vi·na: /di-’vē-nə/ [di-vee-nuh]
divine

con·tem·pla·tive: /kən’templətiv/ [kuhn-tem-pluh-tiv, kon-tuhm-pley-tiv]
prolonged pondering, thoughtful, meditative, pensive

dood.ling: /düd-liŋ/ [doo-dling,  doo-dl-ing]
simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be abstract shapes

shini abraham
author, Treasures in Darkness
duco divina I contemplative doodling

Shini Abraham

 Shini Yesudian Abraham has degrees in psychology, special education, theology, mission & ministry, and pastoral care counseling and chaplaincy is a certified life coach who works with youth at-risk and families in ministry, as well as with people who have experienced severe trauma in their lives. She also has a background in communication design and has served many organizations in that capacity, training workers around the world in communication principles, inter-personal and inter-cultural communication, marriage and family counseling, and life and leadership coaching. 

Shini is also a published writer, artist, and inspirational speaker, and she speaks from her personal experience in learning to flourish—not just limp through life—in the midst of living with chronic pain. Along with her husband, Shini leads guided retreats for people in ministry, and offers pastoral care counseling.