GPS

GPS

It's the 21st century; even my 70 year old dad uses his GPS to get places, even when I try to give him the directions that will get him somewhere easier.

The GPS helps us find our way, as well as what we might need to do on the journey. Need somewhere to eat? Sleep? Refresh? Siri, Tom-Tom, or whoever is on your phone is glad to tell you.  The billboards and road signs might give us some direction, but not completely, to our destination.

Sometimes the GPS might be hard to understand, or follow, or may not have all the information that we need on our specific route and trip.

What do we use to guide our journey to Christ?  The Bible, of course, is a great road map.  The Church.  Our Church leaders and spiritual leaders.  So often, we look to tangible things to guide us, and we should of course use these.  I like to think of the Bible as a Love Letter from the Lord.  You could also think of it as a road map to Heaven.

We've been given so many ways to find Him and reach Him in our lives.  But what about the times you don't have access to your Church leaders and advisers, or a Bible? Maybe you don't even have a Rosary by your side, or you are in bed trying to sleep, but your mind is too cluttered.

Get out your personal GPS. Pray. It can sound intimidating; after all, Who are we praying to? Only the most important 'person' in our lives: our Lord: Father, Savior and Holy Spirit.  I am a perfectionist in certain things and if I can't do it perfectly, I don't want to do it at all (I'm working on accepting imperfections in myself and such, though).  You don't have to have perfect prayer. You can start by talking to Him. Talk to Him however works best for you.  Some people like to use formal language in their private conversations/prayers; others use a free-flow of thoughts (that's how I usually do, which explains how this blog seems to 'free-flow' all over the place!).

I've had different experiences with prayer.  I've prayed formal prayers like the Rosary and Divine Mercy; sometimes I have a specific intention, other times I just want to honor God.  I've prayed by using simple words, sort of a meditation: Jesus, I love you.  One of the most moving experiences involving the Holy Spirit and our Father was simply talking to Him as if He was right next to me (which He truly is). We talked for hours; we laughed, we cried.

But, just like the GPS, if you don't listen or pay attention after you've given your request for directions, it does no good.  We spend so much time talking, and being assaulted by noise (at least in the city), we forget how to quiet our minds and listen.  Listening is an important part of prayer.  Have you ever learned anything in your life where you did all the talking? I should be an expert in that, so I can tell you that I never have.

Listen.  Quiet.  Breathe.  This might take practice, or you might realize you hear Him quickly; if so, you might think about that He was just waiting for you to ask.

Go Pray Soon (or)
God's Praying System

John 14:5-6

5 Thomas *said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, how do we know the way?” 6 Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
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Bless you and have a beautiful and joyful day being loved by the Lord!