There’s an old story, attributed to the Curé d’Ars (St. John Vianney) that tells about an elderly man who enters his parish church everyday, sits for a while in silence, and then leaves. One day the parish priest (the future saint) asks him about what he does everyday. The man replies simply: “I look at God, God looks at me, and we enjoy one another.” I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a more clear and instructive description of prayer.
I think sometimes we try to make prayer more difficult or complex than it really is. There is no right way to pray, of course, and what may work for one person might be as dry as a desert for another. We can say the prayers we learned as children that have been etched into our brains and souls. We can recall favorite passages of scripture or poetry. We can just talk to God about what’s going on in our lives. Or, like the old man in the church at Ars, we can just sit with God and enjoy the company.
Many talk about being “filled” by God in prayer and that can be an apt description of what can happen in prayer. But here’s the problem: If we’re too full of ourselves and our busy lives, there’s just no room for God. So we have to empty ourselves. We have to get out of our own way and make some room for God.
My friend (a pen pal, actually), Sr. Immaculata, is an 89-year-old Sister of St. Joseph from Sault Ste. Marie in Ontario. She has spent her life in prayer and service, including teaching piano to children, which she still does. She wrote me a note just this past week and included this quote from the great mystic, St. Teresa of Avila: “There is no stage of prayer so sublime that it isn’t necessary to return often to the beginning.” Sr. Immaculata added: “That’s where I am right now and very happy to be there as I find the Lord being very gentle with me.” At 89, she says she needs to “keep working for a closer relationship with God.” Even now, she’s not afraid of or concerned with the idea of starting over. That’s a prayer in itself.
Returning to the beginning, I think, is about placing ourselves in the presence of God and then making room for him. Like an old married couple, it’s sitting before the fire together that means so much, not the words that are spoken or left unsaid.
Here’s a relatively new song I wrote with all this in mind. It’s called “Empty Myself.” Click on the link below to hear the song. There’s a bit of a gap before the music starts…be patient.
In the morning as the light breaks
I rise to face another day.
All my worries, all the distance
All the ways I fail to say:
I am filled to the brim…
I am filled to the brim…
In the silence, in your presence
I bring you all I have and hold.
All my loves and all that glitters,
All my gifts and dreams of gold.
I am filled to the brim…
I am filled to the brim…
So I empty myself.
Empty myself. Empty myself.
And I pray…fill me up.
In the evening as the day fades
I stop and try to find your gaze.
I look at you and you look to me.
I see beyond my mindless haze.
I am filled to the brim…
I am filled to the brim…
So I empty myself.
Empty myself. Empty myself.
And I pray…fill me up.
\”Empty Myself,\” by Steve Givens
“Empty Myself,” words & music by Steve Givens, copyright 2009, Potter’s Mark Music. Recorded by Nathanael’s Creed.
4 comments On Emptying ourselves to make room for God
Hey Mr. Givens,
i just wanted to share something really neat with you that your post reminded me of. Right now i am involved in a seminar teaching people how to build an interior life. We are learning meditation, and how to turn our time in meditation into contemplation of Jesus, and really be “filled” with him. They use the analogy of a botanist and a poet. When a botanist wants to know a flower, he dissects it, and tries to learn everything he can about each part. When a poet wants to get to know a flower, he doesn’t take it apart, but he allows himself to be “taken” by the flower, and taken aback by its beauty, and simply experiences it. It isn’t about what we do, or the formula we use in prayer, its about putting ourselves in his presence and being taken by him.
Thanks for writing this, it was very encouraging to read.
Melissa
Thanks, Melissa…beautiful thoughts…so cool that you are involved in this seminar. Hope it draws you ever closer to God.
Mr. G
Steve,
I just finished reading “Emptying ourselves to make room for God.” Yes on all of that. One day it works the next somethings missing, who moved the well? People have sent me prayers that they thought were wonderful, and I read and wondered why.
One can’t have enough Spiritual Directors, it was a difficult week and week-end in Church, it seemed bad news was everywhere, that whole thing of making room and time, boy can I forget that. Well karen walked up to me as I was walking down the center aisle of our Church, she walked by and without stopping said, “Focus on the cross and who is hanging there.” I have kept that in mind and repeated it many times when I am trying to make room and time for Him.
Well I am trying to get the hang of blogging. I just listened to your song on dial up. Dial up does not stream very well, That’s what happens when you live in the woods in northern Vermont. Wide band may never come this far north.
peace and blessings
Bruce
Thanks, Bruce…thoughtful response. Love Karen’s reminder…