Talking to God.....

I love to see people in prayer. Turning themselves over to our Lord, talking to Him and hopefully, listening as well.  It's a beautiful sight, seeing people turn to the God of the universe and asking Him to be a part of their lives, to guide them, love them, heal them or what ever other needs they have.

I pray many different ways, praying the rosary and meditating on our Lord's life, praying the Divine Mercy chaplet or the Stations of the Cross and meditating on His passion and death, just sitting quietly (yes, even I can be quiet a little) and enjoying His presence. I thank Him, I praise Him and if no one is around I sing hymns. I also journal, telling Jesus what is going on in my life and working through difficulties.  

Time with our Lord is sacred time, never wasted. I desire a close relationship with Him and for any relationship to grow it needs to be fostered. You must spend time with one another. When I am in prayer, I try not to pay attention to what is going on around me because I am with the Almighty, our Father.  He alone matters, though I would appreciate a tap on the shoulder should the building catch fire!

I was praying one morning before Mass and the priest was kneeling at the communion rail, head bowed and clearly in prayer, when someone walked up and tapped him on the shoulder.  I was a little shocked that someone would interrupt him, after all, he is talking to God.   Then I thought about how that also happens to me, usually when I am journaling.  It's frustrating because it's pretty easy to lose your train of thought and sometimes I'm thinking several things which I am trying to get onto paper.  

Remember that others are in prayer to deepen their relationships with the Father, give them time alone with God, to draw nearer to Him.  There is no one more important to spend time with than our Almighty God.

Listening

Last week my husband was watching a talk show and the host was doing a Q&A.  A woman in the audience stood up and asked if it was necessary for her to feign interest in a conversation if the person talking is just going on and on.  I think a great many of us have been "caught" in conversations we're not particularly interested in, but I was shocked that someone would actually voice this question.

More shocking was the host's response.  He told her no, she did not have to pretend to be interested in what the other person was saying and should quickly get away from the "offender."  At first I thought he was kidding - probably because I thought the question was absurd - but it turns out he was serious.  He said he hates nothing more than for someone to drone on and he thinks it's foolish to waste his valuable time listening.  He went on to say that his agent tells him, if it's not making him any money, it's not worth his while.  He told the woman her time was also too valuable to be wasted listening to someone she had no interest in.

All I could voice upon hearing this was "wow!"  To the woman's credit, she actually did seem dumbstruck.  Almost as though she was expecting him to say yes, that politeness dictates you hear the person out.  It seemed she was now faced with a dilemma - opt for rudeness and walk away or show another human being some compassion.

This is part of what's wrong with our world today.  People value themselves so much, it's hard for many of them to fathom that others also have great worth.  In the eyes of God, we are all equal, unique, wonderful and beautiful creations.  Humans refuse to see that simple fact.

We are so caught up in the world that if someone doesn't have money, the right job, the right car, the right this or the right that - then they are not worth our time.  In other words, they have no value.

Honestly, all I could think was....what if you are the only one who listens to this person and you tell him he's not worth your time?  What if the only reason why he hasn't committed suicide is because he thinks you care about him?  What if the only thing keeping him from going to a mall or a school and opening fire is the fact that he truly believes you are his friend? 

I would love to contact this talk show host and tell him to get over himself.  If he thinks he hasn't droned on and on to someone in his lifetime, he's sadly mistaken.  I feel pretty safe saying we have all bored someone with our incessant chatting at some time or another.  Unfortunately, he appears to only have enough heart to love himself.  What a shame!  I pray for him - that God will show him true love.

Jesus tells us that what we do unto the least of our brethen, we do unto Him.  Where are you ignoring Jesus in your life?

Small Acts of Kindness

     I was meditating the other night on our Lord's passion.  Not technically doing the Stations of the Cross, but going through them in my head.  I actually started with the Agony in the Garden.  It is incomprehensible what our Lord did for us.  He encountered more trials, tribulations, pain and suffering than we could ever imagine. 

     If you've seen the Passion of the Christ then you have some idea of what it must have been like to walk up to Golgotha.  The noise, the crowds of people pushing in on you, soldiers pushing you to move when you haven't the strength to even stand.  A man from Cyrene, Simon, is told to carry the cross for Jesus because His executioners want to make sure He dies on the cross and not on His way, but Simon does not want to carry it.  He does so only because he is forced to.  Hardly an act of kindness.

     How does He carry on?  How do any of us carry on when we are faced with our trials, tribulations, pain and suffering?  Hope.  If we can just continue on through our sufferings, things will get better.  Jesus knew things would get better once He died for our sins, the ultimate sacrifice.

     Oftentimes we think we are alone in all our sufferings and we can so easily fall into despair.  Despair is satan's work though, to keep us down.  We must always look for the light of God in all things, even in our sufferings.

     As Jesus is struggling along His path to Calvary, through the noise, the crowds and the continual harassment by the soldiers an amazing thing happens - Veronica.  Out of nowhere she appears and wipes the blood and sweat from his face.  How small this act is, but if you've ever had sweat or blood dripping into your eyes, you know it burns, so this would have given Jesus a little relief, made it easier for Him see.

     What small acts of kindness are done for you in your sufferings or times of need?  Does someone bring you a meal?  Send a card?  Visit?  Bring you your favorite tea for no apparent reason?  Give you a hug or a pat on the shoulder? 

     More importantly, what small acts do you do for others to relieve them of their sufferings?  Do you even think about what others might be going through and how you can help alleviate their pain?  Give them hope in their despair?

     A small act of kindness that may not mean anyhing to you or me, may mean the world to the person who received it.  A small act of kindness may tip the scales in favor of hope, instead of despair.

     Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”