DAY 19: Patience In Prayer
The other day in the train I overheard the following conversation of a 3-year old and her mom.
Little girl: "Mom, are we there yet?"
Mom: "Not yet, but I have great news: We are already half-way there."
Little girl: "Are we there yet, Mommy?"
- 2 Minutes later -
"Are we there yet, Mommy?"
- 2 Minutes later -
"Are we there yet, Mommy?"
- Short silence -
Then little girl starts singing:
We are there already! We are there already.
- Short silence -
"Mom, are we there yet?"
Does this conversation sound familiar to you? At some point or another we have all voiced this question and even as adults we still carry that inborn impatience deep inside of us. We may not be entertaining a whole train compartment anymore but it subtly shows in other ways, e.g. in our constant pre-occupation with our smart phones, our inability to bear silence, our irritability in the long check-out line, etc.
The fact is: We do not like waiting. We squirm in our seat when nothing is happening. Listening prayer is difficult exactly because it does not fall into the category of either entertainment or productivity. Listening has a lot to do with waiting. In listening to another we wait for our time to speak. In listening we withhold our opinions in order to put ourselves in someone else' shoes.
I mentioned the illustration of the little girl in the train because spiritually we can feel similar when we embark on a new journey in our prayer life. We long for the destination, deep communion with God, but instead we feel we are inching our way forward, hearing and feeling nothing.
I want to tell you good news: If you made the choice to listen to His words and carved out a time to sit down during your day with His Word opened before you, You are already half-way there. You are moving forward whether you feel the progress or not. It takes time to detox your soul from producing and condition it to receiving. Have patience with yourself as you take the first step or the first step in a long time in that direction again.