Making Space for God

It seems to me that one reason Jacob was able to encounter the Living, Breathing Presence of God in his life was that for the first time ever, he was away from home -- away from his mother, his father, his brother, the servants, and the daily routine.  For the first time ever, he was alone, and nothing was expected from him.  This is one reason people go on retreat -- to be alone, to be free from the obligations and expectations of daily life -- and to meet the Living Presence of God in the silence of the desert.

The other noticeable fact about Jacob's encounter with God was that it began in sleep.  Jacob was not in control of the event.  The images came to him not from his thinking mind, but from the depths of his spirit, which bypasses the rational mind and reveals truth not accessible to the thinking mind.  His reaction: Surely God is in this place and I knew it not! -- is the typical reaction of someone who has had an encounter with God that bypasses what he thought to be true, or what he expected to find in a certain situation.

Last January, I took a group of teens on a retreat.  Of course, they did not want to go, because they already "knew" what to expect --propaganda, holy talks, boring talks, nothing that would interest them in their high-spirited, athletic, hormonal youth!  What they discovered was just the opposite of what they expected --- they discovered the awesome, living, presence of God.  And their reaction was exactly that of Jacob:  Surely, God is in this place, and I knew it not!  They discovered this presence not in the "boring talks," not in the fun and games, not in being together with their friends, but in the quiet, dark chapel during Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.  For the first time in their lives, they met the Presence of God, and it shook them to the core.  Many of them later reported surrendering their lives to this Living Presence, much the same as did Jacob when he awoke from his dream.

When we finally "make space" for God in our lives, we discover that our response (prayer) is not our own initiative.  Just like "falling in love," prayer is a response to a Presence.  We do not have to "say" anything to pray; we just have to be with and in the Presence.  Since my husband and I are now both retired, one of the great joys we have found is that of being together.  We don't need to do anything together; we don't need to communicate or say anything -- we are just together.  It is the same with God.  We don't need to communicate anything at all to be in prayer -- we just need to make space in our lives for Him, for His Presence.

The story has been told of a construction worker who stopped in at the church everyday on his way home from work.  He would sit in the back for a few minutes with his hardhat in hand, and then he would get up and leave.  One day, the priest asked him why he came in each day and what he prayed for.  The man replied that that was his time with Jesus:  I just come in, sit down, and say, "Jesus, it's Juan." 
"What happens then?" the priest asked.
"Well," the man replied, "Jesus says, 'Juan, it's Jesus,' and we're happy to just spend some time together."

That is a good example of "making space" for God in our lives.  That is the essence of prayer.  Prayer is a response to God's initiative toward us, however we are moved to respond: standing still for a moment before a breathtaking sunrise; listening to music; saying the Rosary, reading Scripture and pondering its meaning for us, allowing your heart to soar in praise and thanksgiving, thrilling to the power of the waves, allowing our minds and hearts to turn toward God when we hear church bells or see a lit candle----anything that moves us from self-preoccupation to God consciousness, as happened to Jacob in his dream and awakening.

I remember being in high school at Mt. Carmel in Lakeview.  I had a 7:30 am class, and sometimes, I would stay on the Lakeview bus if I had time and go all the way to the lakefront.  Then I would get off the bus at the lake and sit on the seawall for awhile, especially if the weather were stormy and the wind was kicking up the waves. (In those days, it was safe for me to do this; now, not recommended.)  I remember that I did not say anything that could have been construed as "prayer," but I sat in the awesome Presence of the Creator and allowed myself to be absolutely still for a few minutes before going to class.  It was one of the most profound experiences of my teen years to do this, even occasionally. 

My other profound experience -- again, not recommended today -- was walking through City Park at 6:30 am on my way to catch the Canal Blvd. bus.  The silence of the earth awakening to the sunrise was so awesome and sweet to my soul.  These were my greatest moments of prayer as a teenager; it was then that I entered wordlessly into communion with God.  These moments were when God had the most access to the depths of my soul.

So here's my question to you:  How would you describe the moments of your life when God had the most access to the depths of your soul?  What events got -- or get-- in the way of this kind of intimacy with God?  Is it possible to "make more space" for God's initiative in your life?