Partners

We are partners with God in prayer.  I first heard of partner from my Mom.  When we were going to go shopping for sales "downtown" to Alexander's department store in the Bronx, my Mom would say, "Now we are partners, Terry.  I am the parent and you are the child.  If we get separated, just stay still, and I will come and find you."  I knew that when it came to shopping for sales, Mom could get pretty caught up in the search.  So whenever I got "lost" I would just stand between the counters of apparel and wait.  Mom always found me.  I knew that she would always come looking for me.  Even if a wandered around, which I did occasionally, she would find me.  I could be the lost sheep, but she was always the shepherd.

In prayer, when I sit in silence and stillness, my restless mind can go wandering off.  When I discover that I am surrounded by fantasy, plans, resentments, I would just wait and be still.  God would always find me.  I did not go in search of God or a God idea.  I just waited.  When I read scripture, the passages may not tell me much at first, but I just wait and digest it.  Soon enough some message comes to me.  With God as my partner, I do the waiting and God does the finding and revealing.