For as long as I can remember the most fundamental thing I’ve known about reality is that there is an all-powerful, all-loving God who is attentive to us and present in all. This is the bedrock truth influencing and overshadowing everything else.
But, for me, this awareness about God has been partnered with an enduring frustration. Why can’t I retain awareness of God and God’s presence as I live through my life each day? If God holds this prime position in reality, then shouldn’t this colour everything? Yet, much of the time, how I experience the world – what draws and retains my attention, where my thoughts dwell, how my feelings are influenced, the sensations in my body – seems disconnected from that fundamental truth.
At points throughout my days, I’m aware of this God and his place: I think of God, commune, worship, take joy, express gratitude. But it seems in the greatest percentage of my conscious life, my mind is focussed on the tasks and concerns of life – the getting things done, the immediate problem, the conversation requiring my engagement, the navigation of the world I live in.
Even if I begin the day with a grounding of prayer and intimacy with God, by the time I have walked through the house, tidied the stray sock, made a mental note to put pants in the school bag, added washing powder to the shopping list, brokered peace in my children’s battle over a blanket and talked through the morning’s logistics with my husband, the shimmering wonder and immediacy of God’s presence is long gone. Not only is it difficult to refocus my thoughts in the direction of God among the ordinary noise and chaos, but I find I have forgotten that I even wanted to.
So often when a period of my day has elapsed without my thinking about God or communicating with God, I’m filled with regret and shame. It feels like wasted time which I will never get back.
In my more gracious moments I recognise that this frustration stems from a profound, and good, longing within me – to live in a real, deep, experienced intimacy with God. This spurs me on to pursue this relationship of abiding with God with all I am. I’m often on the lookout for new inspiration for how to connect and stay connected with God.
So I was grateful when recently, God brought to mind the book “The Practice of the Presence of God”. When I first picked it up nearly 20 years ago, I felt drawn by the title – that the presence of God could come with practice and be a practice was enticing. In the last few weeks this book and I have become reacquainted.
It is a short book, unpretentious, simple. It sets out some of the thoughts and wisdom of 17th century French monk, Brother Lawrence.
As a humble kitchen aide in a monastery, Brother Lawrence lived a life of simplicity and service. But somehow, among the pots and pans, he was able to unlock a profound secret, to enter a different land. This marked him. And the deep spirituality – the wisdom, pure-heartedness, and peace that were the fruit of his connection with God, brought him to the attention of influential people who shared his words with the world.
Among these words I’ve been finding nourishment. They are an invitation to a more winsome, integrated, God-connected life, an assurance that this life is possible, and a collection of how-to tips.
Here are a few of those tips for living in the presence of God, in Brother Lawrence’s words, rather than mine. I pray they are the invitation and the pathway for others as they have been for me:
- Practice: “it is necessary to form the habit of continually talking with Him throughout each day. To think that we must abandon conversation with Him in order to deal with the world is erroneous.”“In the beginning … a little effort was needed to form the habit of continuously conversing with God, telling Him everything that was happening. However, after a little careful practice, God’s love refreshed him, and it all became quite easy.”
- Everything in life matters to God:“All we have to do is to recognize God as being intimately present within us. Then we may speak directly to Him every time we need to ask for help, to know His will in moments of uncertainty, and to do whatever He wants us to do in a way that pleases Him. We should offer our work to Him before we begin and thank Him afterward for the privilege of having done it for His sake.” “The most effective way [he] had for communicating with God was to simply do his ordinary work. He did this obediently out of a pure love of God, purifying it as much as was humanly possible. He believed it was a serious mistake to think of our prayer time as being different from any other. Our actions should unite us with God when we are involved in our daily activities, just as our prayers unite us with Him in our quiet devotions.”
- Acceptance that we can’t do anything without God: “We must recall our minds to God. Otherwise, our spirits may wander, dragging us down to the things of this earth. I think the remedy for the problem is to confess our faults to God and humble ourselves before Him … Simply present yourself to God as if you were a poor man knocking on the door of a rich man, and fix your attention on His presence.”
- Grace for our lapses: “[His] heartfelt goal was to think of nothing but God. If he did allow some time to pass without thinking of Him, he did not grow upset about it. Once he confessed his weakness to God, he returned to Him with all the more confidence and joy because he had found himself so unhappy apart from God’s presence”
So, inspired by Brother Lawrence, I am more hopeful that it is possible to grow towards constant awareness of the all-encompassing God, and that the pathway there is laden with grace and love.
Almighty God, thank you for your servants from centuries past through whom you send us wisdom. Thank you that you are unfailingly patient and grace-filled, that you are unendingly attentive and at work. May we find you over and over again in the moments of our day, among the ordinary chaos. May we grow in our ability to tune in to your voice and to commune with you in the tiny details and significant events and everything in between.
Do you share a similar frustration with how the ordinary things of life can distract you from having a close relationship with God throughout your day? What practices or wisdom has helped you in pursuing the presence of God?
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