"Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking Voice to which we may continuously return."
Thomas Kelly
My time with Foster has been refreshing. The first "stream", and the foundation upon which the rest are built, is the Contemplative Stream, or the prayer-filled life. To begin with the prayer-filled life has been a sweet reminder of my dependency on Christ, and His faithfulness and reality in my life.
It's so easy for me to be "contemplative" in the morning. The slow but deliberate awaking of creation gently quiets my soul and reminds me of the transcendence of life and the simple beauty of being. What is not so easy is to maintain that awareness during my drive to the office. One thing I've become aware of is my need to develop a living posture of prayer, by that I mean living life in constant awareness of and attention to not only God himself, but the concerns of His heart rather than my own. It's easy to acknowledge God, but to align my heart's desires with His requires yielding of my personal "rights" and a humble submission to my responsibilities as His son. This is surprisingly not burdensome, but inspiring to realize my part in His story of rescue, redemption and restoration.
Adele Calhoun's book Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices That Transform Us
Foster concludes with an invitation to the adventure of "a loving attention to God and a growing union with God." I accept.
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