Because I've been using a devotional with quotations from the book. above (The Practice of the Presence of Jesus by Joni Eareckson Tada — Book Review), I decided to reread this short Christian classic.
Brother Lawrence was a seventeenth-century French monk, who learned to practice the presence of God at all times. He spent much of his day working in the monastery kitchen, but this did not distract him. He said,
"The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen ... I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were on my knees at the blessed sacrament."
Over time, by gently drawing his attention back to God, he came to dwell in His presence continually. If other thoughts enter his mind, he simply asked forgiveness and returned to contemplating God. In this way, his whole life became a means of glorifying God. The book consists of some of his conversations and letters in which he instructed others in his method.
VERDICT: 5 STARS. If you are serious about living a faithful life, you will be inspired to emulate the piety of this humble monk.
For more book reviews see these posts:
awakening the quieter virtues by Gregory Spencer — Book Review
Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez — Book Review
What's in a Phrase? by Marilyn Chandler McEntyre — Book Rev
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