The Lord has known us and loved us unconditionally from before we were conceived until long after we have breathed our last breath and gone back into eternity. What a beautiful gift, to know that we are always loved. In Psalm 136, we are reminded every other line that: “His love endures forever.”
No sin we have committed, no decision we have made in the past or will make in the future, can separate us from the love of God. As it says in Romans 8:38-39: “…Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God…”
That having been said, there are many things that can bring us even closer to God. There are many ways in which we can become increasingly aware of His love in our lives. One of the main paths I have learned to expand perception of and reception to God’s love is prayer. Of course, prayer means many things to many people. It can mean reading sacred texts, reflecting on them, reading spiritual books, reciting prayers, making up prayers as we are inspired during the course of the day, meditation, singing, dancing, doing laundry, or the dishes. To some, it involves a period of silence, to others a period of praise and speaking in tongues. Regardless of the method, the result is that God is glorified, and we are drawn closer to Him. We are shown glimpses of His infinite love.
Something I have often struggled with in my prayer life is slowing down, being still, embracing silence, and really listening to God. I certainly believe God will come to me in the silence, but boy, it’s hard for me to get into a place that is silent and keep my mind from forming prayers, listing special intentions, worries, to-do lists…
It was no accident that the theme for my Cursillo weekend back in 2006 was “Be still and know” taken from Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God…” I am still learning how to just be and let God in. I’m so used to the ‘just doing’ that I have to practice the ‘just being’ or my actions will be devoid of the love, kindness, joy, gentleness, and peace which the Lord wants all of my words and actions to have.
