"MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone."This prayer always moves me. I love that phrase: “But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you.” It is such an honest reflection of the beauty of the Christian walk. We don’t always know that we are on the right path, that we have made the right decision, but if we are seeking after HIM, HE is pleased with our attempts, misguided though they may be.
- Thomas Merton, Thoughts in Solitude
GOD and I have had lots of heart-to-heart conversations in the car lately. I can’t explain it, but somehow isolated in my Honda Civic, I have some of the best GOD and I times. I usually end up crying or laughing or doing some of both, but I enjoy that time of candid worship, praise, adoration, conversation and appeals to my GOD and SAVIOR.
Sometimes I’m ranting on and on about like a broken record player on a familiar topic: LORD, I have the desire for marriage, and I believe that you gave this desire to me. I need to know what to do with it while it remains unfulfilled. Sometimes, I think it would be easier to join a convent, LORD. OK, so the Catholicism thing might be a challenge, but away from the distractions of men, I would be able to devote more time to our relationship. What do you think?
Sometimes I’m laughing at myself: LORD, please forgive me for being petty, but did you have to bring that spider into my apartment? I mean if you know when a hair falls off my head, you know about that 8-legged vermin hiding out in my closet. You could have prevented this from happening. Can’t we work this out please?
Sometimes I’m struggling with knowing where to begin: LORD, I’m stuck. I don’t know where to start. Do you know how many churches are in Indianapolis? Sorry, of course, you do! I just need some guidance and help with eliminating the possibilities. Can you help nudge me in the right direction? PLEASE?
Whatever the topic or discussion, I always seem to come away feeling more at peace like I just shared my heart with the ONE who knows it best already, and that in the sharing and the quiet listening that follows, I have had sweet communion with my CREATOR, my FATHER, my ALL.
2 comments:
I too love the line in that prayer..."the desire to please you does in fact please you." We've talked about this so many times. Having that desire is what God wants from us. He knows our frame, He knows that we will fall in our humanity, but to continually stand back up and say, "Lord, I desire to please you. I keep screwing up, but I want to glorify you." Bringing glory to God is desiring to be who God wants us to be, which according to Romans 8 is to be conformed into the image of His Son. I still pray every day, "Lord, CHANGE ME!" And for some reason, in His grace and mercy, He still thinks I'm worth working on.
Thanks for sharing this prayer! This is worth putting up at my desk...
Glad you enjoyed this prayer. It recently came to light for me again going through some old Bible study materials. I think Rich Vincent first shared it with me. It's very real...
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