Becoming

Some people do alcohol or drugs to become the person they want to be. I use prayer. If I want to deactivate my worst faults, and be loving, kind, and serene, I find that quiet, meditative prayer seems to work for me. A couple of time outs each day seems to interrupt or keep the craziness away. Sometimes the craziness is so crazy that I ignore prayer. It is best for me that I introduce quiet time into my life earlier rather than wait for later each day.

At times when I am at the beginning of my quiet time, I am anything but quiet. Rather than be still, I seem to feel an intense desire to jump out of my skin. This reveals to me how tense I am, how preoccupied I am with energized thoughts. Stress can hide until I try and be still. I wait with a short prayer, even a word thought quietly two or three times. I don't jump out of my skin. I begin to relax. Maybe there is a spasm or two of tension as it leaves my body. Then I am at rest, or as the bible says, "Be still, and know that I am God."