Today was Retreat Day for the current Women’s Cursillo team and the theme was no surprise to me (I know the retreat master.) First, we were presented with the concept that we are meant to be “human beings” – and too often we are just “human doings.” Then we were presented with Brother Lawrence and practicing the presence of God.
My thoughts are really random on this. The things that stuck included: If I can Be in the presence of God, the doing will come. Or in my reworked Cursillo terms: Pray (Be in God’s presence), Study to understand better those things that have been revealed in prayer and then the Doing will happen.
So often, trying to sit and create a post for this blog brings the presence of God in my daily activities and relationships into sharp focus. I sit to write and often struggle for an idea. And then, as I consider what I might write about, I begin to see God in everything. Just as I am made aware of the presence of God on Wednesday mornings at breakfast as we reflect on our past week.
And, just as several women today observed, this practice is sometimes helped by reminders. For me, knowing that I made a decision to try to write daily, my reminder comes when I sit to compose a post. For another woman, the clock tower at her university rings out every half hour and she uses that to stop and take a moment to practice. Another has a reminder in her email that sends a note “TTJ” (talk to Jesus) that pops up periodically.
But then there was Brother Lawrence who made this practice such a part of himself that he was equally aware of being in God’s presence in the kitchen, scrubbing pots and pans as he was when he was sent to chapel to pray. It mattered not to him.
In my life, it still matters — I am still distracted by the hubbub around me, or the tension in relationships between people or the pressures to “get ‘er done!” Lord, help me to be able to practice Your presence more and more often.