Remain in the heart (Gerald May)

  Courage is necessary because what we experience at this heart level may be so painful, boring, frightening, or beautiful we can hardly bear it, and the deeper perceptions of me and God that emerge may be threateningly unlike our usual mental images.  To remain in the heart and permit such a fierce and simple honesty is the real work of prayer.

  In my own heart experience, I often feel childlike, tender and dependent, and the God-presence that meets my heart may be so overwhelmingly loving that I feel I simply must escape.  At other times, the hopes and fears of my heart just seem to lie there in emptiness, with no sense at all of God’s response.  Then, too, I want to escape, back to mind-images where I can make something happen. 

  It takes a strong commitment to try to remain in the heart regardless of what may come, but with time and grace, one’s trust in the open mystery of God and self can grow into an ever deepening, heartfelt prayer.

--Gerald May, 

Heart, Mind & Prayer

Image source:  https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/76143-the-stunning-roots-of-america-s-national-day-of-prayer

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