Today I went back to the Franciscan Monastery in NE Washington DC. I walked down into the wooded area on their property. It was a windy cold day. Not the kind of day I'd usually want to be sitting outside but that's what I did. Went down to where there were benches and just sat. Listening to the wind blow through the trees and imagined it was God flying through. God's spirit blowing through the forest. I imagined he could feel the trees brushing against Him as He passed by.
The thought that He just wants us to enjoy the beauty He has created around us is something I heard either yesterday or this morning before I went out. Actually it was this morning on EWTN. Mother Angelica was talking to a woman who said she couldn't always pray when she sat in silence. Sometimes she just felt sleepy. MA said that maybe God just wanted her to sit and be with Him. Or something like that. So that's what I did today. It was beautiful.
I have a tendency to think I always have to be praying to God. Asking Him for something or praying that He will better me in some way. I forget to just be present with Him sometimes. To just sit and be with Him like we do with each other sometimes.
You might not be far off on the "trees brushing against Him" ...Genesis tells us that God use to walk in the Garden of Eden to visit Adam and Eve. I imagine they too heard the same noises.
ReplyDeleteI think your definition of 'prayer' is maturing. Prayer is a conversation with God. That means sometimes we talk, sometimes we listen. It's hard to have a conversation when we are always doing the talking. Prayer is also recognizing Gods presence in everything we see. Just as we recognize our friends, we should be able to recognize Him and acknowledge it. There are some places, like setting in a garden at a monistary, that His presence are more profound than others places...but that doesn't mean He's not there.
Keep up the good work and growth...sometimes we don't see it in ourselves...and yet to others it's so obvious. I hope you see it yourself.
God Bless,
Dennis
It was a beautiful experience Dennis.
ReplyDeleteAs far as prayer it is something, listening, that I've heard about for a long time but didn't really understand it. Since going to reconciliation the conversation is much more of a...conversation. That had a huge impact on me though it wasn't so obvious to me while still at my parents house but more so since I've gotten home.
I'm glad to hear the growth is obvious to others. I definitely see it.
God bless you too,
Garrett