I continue to enjoy the awareness from last week of God’s Loving Presence within me, within you. What a treasure we hold! Sometimes while I meditated, I could feel the Vibrant Life within the glove of my life. I want to wear thin my glove life so God’s Vibrant Life shines through.

How shall I wear thin the glove, the ego that holds this life?

As often happens, my mind wanders down the pathways of prayer. I’ve had a long-standing desire to learn and experience more about it. I remember as a young Christian, reaching for O. Hallesby’s book on prayer from the library at L’Abri. It was the first intentional study I did as a new believer. My desire to know more continued over the years so books on prayer began to fill my library, days were spent combing the scriptures to learn the teachings about prayer, courses from many teachers were taken and of course hours were spent exploring the depths of experience.

Prayer is opening myself to Gods Presence. It might last an instant or be an aching heart I carry for days. It is always, dare I use that word ‘always’….an opening to the Divine One, the Creator, the Holy, the Pain-bearer, Life-giver.

One of my current favorite teachers tells me there is but one pathway in prayer, it is full and rich, but only one pathway. I am to learn to sit deeply in meditation, till I sit with peaceful bliss within the Presence of God. I turn to my bookshelf or the internet and teachers abound offering many pathways or methods of prayer. All those offerings weary me. I find that teachers are insistent on ‘their’ way. I suppose I’m the same. At this point in my life, I continue to recognize that there are many ways to pray. ‘Pray as you can, not at you can’t’ remains my foundation. It makes sense to me that we need to start where we are, not trying on something that doesn’t suit our temperament, experience, or stage of spiritual growth. And we also need to stay with what we know. We need faithfulness to our rhythm and spiritual practices.

Both faithfulness and flexibility are needed for spiritual growth. I need to show up each day for my practice and I need to be open to that practice showing up in my daily life, my regular encounters with family, neighbours and strangers. I need to let the glove of my life wear thin. Faithfulness in seeking God day in and day out as well as flexibility, being willing to change, to listen to how the Spirit is moving within me, living always with a beginner’s attitude, and in humility knowing I have so much still to learn spiritually.

Faithfulness and flexibility. I need them both. I want the glove of my life to wear thin, transparent so the life of Christ shines through me. It’s what is meant by teaching ‘It is in dying, I’m born to eternal life.’ As the glove of my life wears thinner, the Eternal Light of Christ within me, my life hidden within him, my soul life, shines brighter.

Ah Gentle Reader, thanks for letting me think my way through something this week. Faithfulness and flexibility. Releasing the Hidden Treasure. Life from within a well-worn glove. Yes!

Love and prayers from a mystic in motion

Anne

Mystic in Motion

Companion on the Way with Contemplative Fire

Contemplative Fire Canada, Founder

Society Member with Shalem Institute for Contemplative Living

Companion with The Rivendell Way