I think prayer and meditation are struggles for us all. I don’t think I’ve met anyone, who does this consitently or well. Not anyone, anyway, who have brains wired like we do. Of course there are always exceptions. I just had to amend that, since I hear people say that they have made it a point of discipline in their daily lives. I know that I haven’t and it’s the same for me, as it is for you. I struggle and end up doing these things sporadically.
For years I have read and studied the prayer life of others…but have never even come close. I start a prayer and the moment the first words are out of my mouth my thoughts are off and running in another direction and on another subject. I say the words and they remind me of another thought. Twenty minutes later I remember that I had started a prayer.
There’s a story I heard many years ago, about a mission! ary, who went from village to village in the country of Mexico. He would ride a donkey around to these villages. In one village one day he came upon a little boy and told him he would give him a peso to watch his donkey, while he was taking care of his business. The little boy told him he would and when the missionary came back he saw that the little boy had brushed the donkey and was taking good care of it. The missionary asked the little boy if he liked the donkey. The boy was enthusiastic and said he did, very much. The missionary then said, if the boy could say his prayers without distraction he would give the boy the donkey. Excitedly the little boy began the Lord’s Prayer. He said, “Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come…do the saddle bags come with that?”
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