Keeping It Real

The truth of the matter is, we all come to prayer with a tangled mass of motives--altruistic and selfish, merciful and hateful, loving and bitter... God is big enough to receive us with all our mixture. Richard J Foster from Prayer-Finding Your Heart's True Home

This statement from Richard J Foster hit the nail on the head for me. I think many of us can relate to praying but being distracted by hearing something going on in the next room or thoughts pop into your head about a conversation you had with someone or you start off on a tangent of thinking about what you need to do today. It seems like I am constantly being pulled out of my conversation with God to a conversation with myself. I correct my course over and over again and finally end it quickly as I have taken too long and it is time to get ready for my day or whatever is next. The truth is God is big enough to handle the how, where, when and what of what we pray. It doesn't matter if it's in the shower, car or as you are washing dishes. It doesn't matter if it's short, long or a mess of emotions. It doesn't matter if all we seem to be praying about is ourselves and our family. Richard Foster says, "the only way we move beyond "self-centered" prayer is by going through it, not by making a detour around it. We have to stay on the path of prayer whatever it may look like. Joseph Schmidt notes, "There are dangers on the right road. We must move with some caution but not turn back."
So, I will keep at it as I pray you will and follow the advice of CS Lewis who says, "lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us."
Keeping it real. Amen.