Prayer and meditation have become increasingly important matters in my life.
Regardless of what one hears to the contrary, when anyone is faced with a mammoth difficulty – the diagnosis of a loved one with cancer, the desperation for a partner or child, the bone-numbing longing for employment – as the last resort, a whispered or silent, “Oh God” will pass across hearts and through lips, some time, somehow. Prayer and meditation are acts practised by everyone and there is always room for improvement.
In pursuit of a richer experience, I have turned to books and discourses on the subject. I am currently reading “Prayer Is Invading The Impossible” by Jack W. Hayford, a text which I thoroughly recommend. Reading phrases and sentences such as, “We should simply not tolerate that which diminishes, demeans, distresses or destroys” cannot help but inspire, and imbue one with positivity and a determination to master one’s circumstances.
Hours spent walking dogs are not only hours spent training for “Trailwalker”, they are also hours dedicated to prayer, reflection and meditation. I call them my “thinking walks”, because that is the key and the essence of the experience for me; I see no value in clearing my mind of everything and attempting a state of calm in that manner, only to have it disrupted by the return journey to reality.
For me, prayer, meditation and reflection encompass the experience of wrestling and tussling with issues of any and every description, and magnitude, with Almighty God. It involves going “toe-to-toe” in complete honesty, but also in complete humility until a state of resolution, peace and calm, despite my circumstances, is achieved. I engage every part of me in the process, knowing that I need to exercise every aspect of my being, knowing that regardless of the pain (and sometimes the process is extremely painful), it puts me in the best place possible to live a fulfilled and worthwhile life.
Be blessed as you do likewise.
