Try or Train

After years of serving as a soldier, Brother Lawrence joined the Carmelite community in 1629 in Paris. The Carmelites were originally a strict order, but things changed overtime. Teresa of Avila together with John of the Cross, reinstated some old habits, making the Carmelites again a strict order.

 

Brother Lawrence (born as Nicholas Herman) was assigned to kitchen duties. He didn’t like doing the dishes, or steaming pots and pans. He didn’t like the same work, day in day out. However, we know about Brother Lawrence because he changed the drudgery to devotion. Nothing changed in the kitchen, only his attitude. His time of prayer continued during his work, and his work continued during his prayer. He said he felt as much peace in the kitchen washing floors as kneeling in front of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

Brother Lawrence was especially known for his serenity and devotion to God. He said: “We ought not to grow tired of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed”.

 

Spiritual practices are creating a habit, regular actions, which may grow into a spiritual discipline.  A spiritual discipline is an action; it is not something that comes over us. Like Brother Lawrence, whose day was filled with conversing with God, growing in awareness that God is close to us, near us and wanting this deep personal connection. His practice became his spiritual discipline overtime.

 

Trying doesn’t create the skills we need. It is about training. A rugby player does not become a star player by simply trying when he is on the field. Every player has to train to be fit, fast and accurate. They train on their own and as a team. 

Spiritual practises are like that; they are part of a healthy lifestyle. We have to be engaged in our practices, in a sense we have to train our spiritual agility. Otherwise, we become like couch potatoes, sluggish and lazy.

 

As Frank Laubach observed: “If you are weary of some a sleepy form of devotion, probably God is as weary of it as you are”. 

Spiritual practices require discipline. No matter what your choice of practice is. Practise makes perfect; practice deepens our relationship with the Divine. Attaining to a practice helps us, the practitioner, the Divine doesn’t keep a score.

 

So whether you meditate, practice the presence of God, paint or work in the garden, if that is how you connect with the Divine, it will aid in your spiritual well-being.

Spiritual practices deepen our awareness to awakening and help us to enter the Stillness.

 

Peace  comes from within. Do not seek it without. - Gautama Buddha