The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4.

This morning in our Friday Retreat we listened to John Ortberg who expounded on the remarkable insight of an “insignificant in the measures of the world” human being. Brother Lawrence failed at every occupation he tried. He ended up serving in a Carmelite monetary as a lay person working in the kitchen. He hated working in the kitchen! He called God Dear Friend. He talked to God. He lived for us the example of how near God is to us who talk to Him. Think of all Creator God – Father, Son, Spirit, says to us. All of creation pours forth speech if we have hearts open to receive. That’s what our psalm says, too. Psalm 147…How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!…He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds…He determines the number of stars and calls each by name…His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor His delight in the legs of the warrior; the Lord delights in those who fear Him, who put their hope in His unfailing love…v. 1, 3, 4, 10, 11. We can do that!

All Brother Lawrence had left was to work in a kitchen but he turned that into conversations with God…did I do that well, if not how can I do better? Nothing was unimportant to God who pours forth speech in His creation and in that truth, Brother Lawrence lived in closeness with God. A simple occupation made glorious in the understanding God loves us. God’s love is the light illuminating our walk with Him. We can miss it! Problems press down upon us and we forget God. Talk to Him. Talk again. And again…and then talking to Him will be easier than the thoughts we think so effortlessly. He becomes Dear Friend! God pours forth speech! Listen. Brother Lawrence’s letters were collected by Father Joseph de Beaufort in The Practice of the Presence of God. He tells us to worship worthy of love’s wonder and majesty. How do we do that? Talk to God. Begin a conversation that never ends. Truly, we can do that!