Life's been very busy -- too busy, probably. Between work, parenting and writing (the three biggies in my life right now) I hardly ever seem to have a spare moment. This week I need very much to do some housecleaning and organizing, respond to a young friend who has asked for feedback on a short story he wrote, and also work on pulling together my fall syllabus for the online class I'll be teaching again for the seminary. I've also got plenty of other things on my plate, both big and small.
I need to remember to keep first things first, or to "major in the majors" as I heard someone say the other day.
It helps to keep reading words that put me back in that place, the position of listening for God's voice, the openness to receive and to be shaped.
A few days ago I read this, from Charlie Peacock's book New Way to Be Human (Shaw Books, 2004):
"...praying is like putting on clothes in the morning. It covers my nakedness and answers the Edenic question, "Where are you....?" My prayers announce my location and my status -- "Here I am, God!" -- dissolving any pretence that I am anything other than a small and needy man. This is the kind of effect Jesus has on people. It's all a part of his plan. He moves us from being the kind of people who use his creation to hide from him to being the kind of people who eagerly seek an authetic God-human conversation."
Or perhaps it would be even better to say that he moves us/changes us into the kinds of people who eagerly seek to respond to God's invitation to talk with him. We don't have to fear the "where are you?" question if our answer is "Here I am...I need you and love you! Come find me, God, and help me rest in your presence."
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