Freedom

Many people dismiss the idea of "contact with God."  They diminish God to thoughts of dogma, or joining a religion.  They judge dogma and religion as rather useless and problematic.  But God existed before dogma and religion.  God is about human freedom, not restrictions.  Specifically, God is about interior freedom, in which we open ourselves to expand our horizons, our potential to be fully human.  This is God's call to each one of us and we need to be awake to hear and respond.  To do this we need a prayer of listening and openness, not so much words and rituals.  The prayer of listening, meditation is all about surrendering self, the self that is busy with accomplishments, or avoiding hassles, allying fears.  Our potential as humans is boundless, but first we must take some time out each day to stop focusing on ourselves or others as it relates to our limited agenda.  Helicopter Moms, stop managing the world around you for a few minutes each day.  If you are living in a care or assisted living facility and think that time is limited, interior prayer can remind you that life is limitless.  In the external world we can be subject to more or fewer rules depending on how totalitarian the system.  But the interior life is one between you and God that no one can touch.  Access it and you may become a witness to others of our human potential, to finding who we truly are.