In the 1980s my dad went through a period of several years where he would write (and by “write” I mean he would dictate to his secretary) a sort of ‘group letter’ weekly. He would send it by mail to any of his children and family living away from home. It would contain his busy travel schedule, memorable meals, whom he and mom were entertaining that week, some advice, and maybe a personal story.
Several years into this practice of his, I was 20 years old and living and working in New York City. And in February of that year, he had come to see me. When he arrived home, he – uncharacteristically – wrote me an individual letter. It stood out to me because of its specificity. Although I appreciated receiving the group letters while I was living away, I especially appreciated this one because it was to me – and only me.
The purpose and logistics of his visit are a story for another post, but his letter was a masterful example to me of … well, I’ll get to that.
Here are some of the phrases directed to me in that letter:
“How very much I enjoyed spending time with you…”
“The real pleasure of this trip was to see you and have the uninterrupted time to talk to you about the spectrum of items we discussed…”
“You are very special …”
“I am pleased that you are using your time to good advantage to do and see so many interesting things…”
“I will be interested to hear how things went…”
“I want you to know that I empathize with the struggle you are having…”
“I am pleased that we had the opportunity to discuss those matters…”
“I commend you for wanting to do the right thing…”
“I am remembering what you said…”
“Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help in any way…”
“I recognize both the difficulty and the significance of the decisions you must make…”
“I want to be as involved as you wish me to be…”
“If you need to talk further, please call…”
“It was good to be with you…”
“I love you very much…”
Lately I have been thinking a lot about prayer.
According to Father Bill Bryne (now appointed as Bishop Bryne of Springfield, Illinois), prayer is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.
He employs intentional time in his daily schedule to focus and recollect in prayer – and he allows himself to be open and to receive what his higher power, God, has to say to him.
In a recent podcast interview I heard him compare this connection to God to music at the mall.
(Stick with me!)
When your favorite song plays at the mall (or a restaurant or in an elevator, etc.) you’re immediately tuned into it. Your brain recognizes it as relevant to you. But before it started playing, you most likely hadn’t even noticed the music playing at all.
His analogy is that God is playing music all around you and that prayer helps you tune into what is valuable to you.
The more you’re tuned in in an intentional way, the more you will start to notice music playing specific to your needs.
My dad didn’t know this, but his timely visit and that very specific subsequent letter helped me to notice the music playing just for me – because the God I believe in talks to me like my dad talked to me in that letter.
My prayers are often answered through other people. If I read back through that list of phrases above, I hear my Heavenly Father in every one of them.
Wherever and however and with whomever you feel your divine connection – God, the Universe, the Spirit of Life, Mother Nature or something else – I can’t wait to hear about what you’re noticing is in store specifically for you. And if you need help with it, I’d love to help you listen for your favorite ‘song.’
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
PS If you liked this post – or any others, I’d love you to pass it on to a friend. They can subscribe here if they’re interested!
