The Presence of God

If we feel that we are actually in the presence of God, yet every time we feel we are there, we are full of our own words, have we really even experienced a piece of the depth of God?

If we were truly in the deep places of th eFather, would a verbal word even be necessary? (I always answer the questions quickly when I kno the truth being revealed, and feel as if I do not measure up, especially when I am trying to defend my habitual actions, even when they are religious, which are the most dangerous kind)

I am finding that Merton was correct in that more often our words get in the way of connecting with God. So often we are asking for things that our hearts, and our Father do not truly desire (often asked out of fear or desire for more comfort rather than was is really good for us). If we would only be still, the true stillness that is beyond physical movement, and allowed the Father to teach us to listen to our souls as they speak with our Father, we would enjoy life for what it is, because we would know what we needed to know for that moment, even if all we know is that our Father is closer to us than we have ever known.

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Continued on 4.16.05

Does this mean that we should never speak words to our Father? Obviously, no. It means that we often feel our "words" or the process of speaking words is so important that the only thing we ever do is talk. Even the words Jesus used to share with his disciples how to pray was not one of many words, but simple and to the point. It is when we feel we "must say" anything that is the problem, not speaking to our Father.

The feeling of Him being distant is probably a sign that you need to cease your speaking, and open your heart to listening. It may not be that He moved away from Him, but that our goal is to get something from Him. When was the last time we enjoyed speaking with a person who was always trying get something from us.