Prayer Keeps Me Present 

Some of us have difficulty letting go of the past. We dwell on the good old days that we revere and pine for.  Or, we rehash experiences of the past that have damaged or hindered our ability to progress. We keep our eyes on the rearview mirror. Others, like myself, rarely dwell on the past. We are folks constantly straining to see what is up ahead. Some do so with dread and foreboding, unsure and insecure about what the futures holds.  Others can't wait to get there and are chomping at the bit to see around the next corner to catch a glimpse of what awaits them.

So often we spend much of our time either thinking about the past or contemplating the future. But what I have found is that we have a very difficult time living in the present. We are always thinking a couple steps ahead. "I have to get this and that done by 2 p.m. and at 5 p.m. I pick up the kids.  And what's for dinner?" Good question! We spend so much of our lives disconnected from the present. Our minds are the magic carpets that whisk us off to chase rabbits down magic holes.

There are two things that help me stay glued to the present - my body and prayer. The great mystics so often taught meditation and prayer that incorporated the body as much as the mind and spirit. For it is the body that keeps us connected to the present.  Our aches and pains and small discomforts keep us glued to the here and now, and as much as we want to escape our bodies, we can't. Perhaps the blessing is that we can't. Our bodies keep our feet firmly grounded in the present. And the present is really the only thing that truly exists. The past is gone and the future is not here yet; this is it. The present is where God meets us, and we want to be here ready to greet him and welcome him in. 

Prayer in conjunction with our bodies keeps us present physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally. Prayer in its most grace-filled way allows us to be present in ourselves and with God and with each other. It is a communion of the present where God meets us and we reach out to others in their present.

Now I know I am getting a tad bit esoteric and you may be scratching your head saying "What is he talking about?" Trust me. To pray is to be most alive because in and through it we are truly present to ourselves, God and each other. In prayer we cannot hide in the past or run from it. In prayer we can neither avoid the future nor see into it. In prayer we stand in the present and surrender all else to the care of God.

If you haven't prayed quietly, silently for a while, I invite you to find a time and place to do it. For it is there in the quiet you will find yourself, God and each other and learn to be honestly and genuinely present.