I was talking to a dear friend the other day. He is in a very difficult spot in life. Being a man of faith, he has often found great solace and comfort in prayer. Prayer is his connection to the presence of the creator. But on this day he was lamenting. When he prayed on some days, he experienced his prayers were bouncing back to him - almost as if the heavens were tin. Other days if felt like his prayers were echoing through an empty galaxy without anywhere to land. He was frustrated and confused. He was sure he was "doing it wrong." Instead of prayer being a source of comfort, it was causing him anxiety. There have been times where I have certainly experienced something similar. My prayers no longer offer comfort or relief. So, we began to wonder together. Out of our conversations, I would like to offer a repainting of this picture.

What if this was an invitation to see God in a different light? Instead of anxiety, we were being offered a new way to connect with God. To expand our idea of whom we believe God to be. Perhaps we could reflect on what brings us peace, or how do we feel love? If God is shalom and love, then it would seem that the times we are experiencing peace and love might be a time where we are receiving a divine touch. Where do you experience peace? Where do you feel love? I invite you to reflect on these two questions. Consider God's presence in them.

Maybe you experience peace in your garden, in the kitchen baking, or on the golf course. Perhaps it is in playing with the grandkids, coffee with a friends, the silence of an early morning or the hum of a busy day that you feel love. What if these actions were your prayer? What if these daily gifts were God's touch on your life? Could the action of walking the dog be a prayer? How might baking cookies for your family or mowing the lawn serve as a prayer? How would you view God differently? Would this expand your idea of God's voice in your life?

I invite you to reflect on these questions. Where do you experience peace? Where do you feel love? Wonder what new picture of God might be offered to you today.