Balance

Ideally, I'd have multiple daily prayer times with reading and reflection in one and quiet soaking in God's presence in another. In practice, I'm doing well when I manage any consistency at all in having one daily prayer time. Of course, many opportunities arise in the course of the day to offer intercession for the needs of friends and family members - such as this morning when a close friend is burying his brother.

Without the regular reading and reflection time, my prayer time can become aimless and fail to provide growth. Without the personal quiet time, my reflection can lose focus and fail to provide growth. But on mornings like this one, when I have been reading and reflecting regularly, instead of getting distracted during my quiet time and failing to be honest with myself and with God, I was able to humbly place myself before him with all my failings and limitations and be reminded that what is required of me is to be still, and to know that God is Lord of my life and that I am not.

Whether this makes any real difference in my life - for instance, whether I become more fully transformed by grace and God's light shines through me any more unhindered by me - remains to be seen. I'm trying to be cautious and aware without being skeptical or discouraged.