Say

It seems to me that the greatest barrier to prayer in my life is not TIME, but rather LOVE.

Oh Lord (Youngsung Kim)

When I first met my husband, we spent almost every moment of our time together.  When we were not at work, we were together.

When I think back to what we actually did and spoke about during that time, I often find myself stopping short.  I cannot remember any very significant conversations.  I cannot recall the ways that we spoke.  I cannot remember how we spoke to each other or what kept us busy with the chitter chatter all day (and often late into the night).  But what I do know is that we have spent a lot of time with each other prior to our marriage.

After we married, we continued to spend a great deal of time together.  Once our children were born, my husband began spending some time to himself.  He found the joys of family life somewhat less joyful than I did as a full-time job.  This does not mean that he is not a present father or that he does not spend time with us, but rather than he also relishes having a little time to himself each week.

Regardless, one thing is clear and that is that my husband and I have spent a very long time living together and talking together.  And even so, we can still discover new things about each other and we can surprise each other with the things that we say.

And I have been thinking of this as I have been thinking of my GREATEST love, God…

You see, just as my husband and I can always find new things to talk about even though we have been together as a couple for a very long time, so too can I find things to discuss with my God.

The greater the love between two souls, the greater the possibilities for conversation.  This is why it is possible to continue to pray.  And the Great Saints prayed throughout their lives.  Some of those Saints spent entire years of their lives dedicated solely to prayer.  They lived in cloisters or away from society and they prayed a series of prayers – formally and informally.  They meditated and reflected and read and considered.  Many of those Saints adopted rules of silence – refraining from speech from each other at certain times, just so that they could focus more fully on their conversations with God.

And I have been reflecting on that today.  For it seems to me that the greatest barrier to prayer in my life is not TIME, but rather LOVE.

If I loved my God the way that He deserved nothing at all could interfere with the TIME that I could devote to prayer with Him.  For prayer is just another word for conversation.  And I cannot think of an instance where I would not want to have a loving conversation with a loved-one who loved me perfectly.  SO, why would I avoid a loving conversation with God – for any reason at all? After all, there is always something to say to my Beloved...

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.