a book that changed my life

"That in winter, seeing a tree stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit would appear, he received a high view of the providence and power of God, which has never since been effaced from his soul. That this view had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such a love for God that he could not tell whether it had increased during the forty years he had lived since."


Today is the 318th anniversary of the death of Brother Lawrence, a man who lived in France during the 16th century, making it his whole business in life to love God and to spend every moment in the presence of God, praying without ceasing.


"He showed us how, at any moment and in any circumstance, the soul that seeks God may find Him, and practice the presence of God."


And also today (quite unaware of the significance of the date until now) I finished reading the little devotional of Brother Lawrence's collected letters and thoughts. I have read it many times, but the first time I read it, it was pivotal to my 'journey'. I look back on it knowing that my mind was being renewed and transformed as I read it and was introduced to this simple concept of loving God and remembering that He is always with me. Constantly.


"After he had received the Last Sacraments, a brother asked him if he were easy and what his mind was busy with. This was the reply: ' I am doing what I shall do, through all eternity--blessing God, praising God, adoring God, giving him the love of my whole heart. It is our one business, my brethren, to worship and love Him, without thought of anything else.' "


"Though it was in a very lowly corner that Brother Lawrence lived his days, yet there is no person, of whatever station or condition he be, who may not draw great profit from his life."


A few favorite quotes from The Practice of the Presence of God, a book I cannot recommend enough:

"Believe me, count as lost each day you have not used in loving God."

"That our only business was to love and delight ourselves in God."

"That his prayer was nothing else but a sense of the presence of God."

(and my favorite, which has been a prayer for my life, difficult to pray at times:)
"Let Him do what He pleases with me; I desire only Him, and to be wholly devoted to Him."

.....well, I'll stop there, as I can't just type up the whole book on here!