Open Heart

Prayer

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”

Mahatma Gandhi

Several people have asked recently why I'm still writing this blog after four years. They say, “I thought you had stopped.” Truth is, I have stopped twice, and each time, I found myself compelled to write first thing each morning. Now it is as though, I cannot not write. And it's not so much that I want people to read the words, as it is that I need to write them as a reminder to myself. I think this is my form of prayer.

Sometimes, with all the mayhem going on in the world, we feel helpless and small. And we are often correct in thinking, “That's out of my control,” because so much of it is. But there are things that are within our control, things that can make a difference. We can examine our own hearts. When we see violence acted out in the real world, we can ask ourselves, “How do I contribute to the violence?” Or, better still, “How can I not contribute to the violence.” Most of all, we can listen for the answers—truly listen. Allow in answers that may not be easy to hear.

Prayer is a funny thing. We are taught that we must use words, like Heavenly Father, or Almighty God, and address our grievances directly to the source. But more and more, I believe prayer is a state of heart. It is simply being open. And, it is a natural state when ego and personality are not standing in the way. In the words of Thomas Merton, “We are already one.”

                                                       In the Spirit,

                                                            Jane