 |
| Monroe County |
My '99 van has 170,000 miles on it, is rusting out, needs constant attention and care, has doors that no longer work, and now needs a brake job. It's unsafe to drive. Linda and I have talked about how much more money we should pour into this thing. We have talked together with God about this. We have prayed. It seems clear to us that we are to get rid of the old van and purchase a reliable car that will last us for a long time.
"Prayer" is talking with God about what we and God are doing together. Henri Nouwen says that "To pray means to think and live in the presence of God." (Nouwen, The Only Necessary Thing: Living a Prayerful Life, 32)
Prayer is an environment, a culture. Prayer is a vast space inhabited by God's presence. Prayer is a dwelling-with.
Thinking and living in the prayer-environment brings discernment. Answers to questions like "What should we do?" are found in God's presence. There is the place where we are to think and live.
Today, think and live in the presence of God.
