Leaning In

I will say of the Lord, He is my Refuge and my Fortress, my God; on Him I lean on and rely, in Him I confidently trust!  - Psalm 91:2 (AMP)  

Reading through different “love stories” this week, I came across an especially touching one by Brennan Manning in his book Abba’s Child.  I hope you enjoy it and find the 3pm connection. 

An old man was dying of cancer.  His daughter asked the local priest to come and pray for her father.  When the priest arrived, he found the old man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows and an empty chair beside his bed.  The priest assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit.  “I guess you were expecting me,” he said.

“No, who are you?”

“I’m the new associate at your parish,” the priest replied.  “When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up.”

“Oh yeah, the chair,” said the bedridden man.  “Would you mind closing the door?”

Puzzled the priest shut the door.

“I’ve never told anyone this, not even my daughter,” said the old man, “but all my life I have never known how to pray.  At the Sunday Mass I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it always went right over my head.  Finally, I said to him one day in sheer frustration, “I get nothing out of your homilies on prayer.”

“Here,” says my pastor reaching into the bottom drawer of his desk, “Read this book by Hans Urs von Balthasar.  He’s a Swiss theologian.  It’s the best book on contemplative prayer in the twentieth century.”

“Well, Father,” says the old man, “I took the book home and tried to read it.  But in the first three pages I had to look up twelve words in the dictionary.  I gave the book back to my pastor, thanked him, and under my breath whispered “for nothing.”

“I abandoned any attempt at prayer,” the old man continued, “until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, “Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus.  Here’s what I suggest.  Sit down on a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair.  It’s not spooky because He promised, “I’ll be with you all days.”  Then just speak to Him and listen in the same way you’re doing with me right now.”

“So, Padre, I tried it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day.  I’m careful though.  If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.”

The priest was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old guy to continue on the journey.  Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the rectory.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the priest that her daddy had died that afternoon.

“Did he seem to die in peace?” the priest asked.

“Yes, when I left the house around two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me one of his corny jokes, and kissed me on the check.  When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.  But there was something strange, Father.  In fact, beyond strange, kinda weird.  Apparently just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside his bed.”

Like the old man, we too can lean on and trust in God’s unfailing love.  He is available all day and night to listen to your prayers.  Ask Him to comfort you with His love.