How often do you actually pray?

[JetBlast]

Every night before bed, and at church. I find it very powerful to hear your entire congregation singing The Lord's Prayer as one group.

 

[Spilotro]

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

Daily.
At least.
(I have a lot to be thankful for.)

I'm not a religious guy, but this is a great attitude. Cheers!

 

[emptym]

Originally Posted by Dakota rube

Cool! Details, if you please.
Part of me wants to say, "S/He told me not to say!" But that's not true... and since it was you who asked, ok: When I was a sophomore in college, I went on spring break in Appalachia. Apparently, people go to meet people, or to help out. I went mostly to see Appalachia, and bec. my sister told me to. But I did meet a great girl and asked her out. We had a great time together and dated through college. She was a year younger than I was, so after graduating I stayed in DC to be with her till she graduated. It was a pain, bec. I hated the East Coast with its cold, gray weather and cold, gray people -- and I was teaching jr high in a rough neighborhood at a rough school where the parents had forced out the principal and 5 of 6 teachers the year before. They and their kids thought they ran the place... But it was good too. Halfway through the year, she got a Rhodes scholarship. Since we'd first met, we'd had been planning to spend a yr in Latin Amer. after she graduated and before going to grad school; it was actually a big factor in our originally wanting to date. But she felt like she couldn't say no to the Rhodes, and I felt like I shouldn't ask her to. She'd been dreaming of going to Oxford since she was a kid and didn't get accepted a couple yrs before for study abroad. I was pretty disturbed by the news. I was happy for her, but also a little jealous and insecure, wondering if I deserved to be w/ this Rhode's scholar. Although, she did say fwiw that she thought she got it in great part bec. of the theology she'd learned from talks w/ me (about the transcendental Thomism of Karl Rahner and Bernard Lonergan). She said wanted me to go to England. I resisted bec. I thought it would colder and grayer than the East Coast. But after a week or so, I gave in and said I'd look into what I could do there. One Sunday night on the way back from her place to mine, as I was crossing a bridge at sunset, I heard a voice tell me, "Go to the Philippines, to the south. Work with Muslims and teach at a Catholic school." It wasn't like a normal voice, but a weird one-with-the-universe type of moment. On the one hand, I thought it was very weird -- I had never before thought about going to the Philippines or working with Muslims. I knew nothing about the south of the Philippines. I hated teaching (for the most part. In some ways I loved it too). But It was also one of those rare moments of total peace, joy, and excitement, and it lasted. I knew that was what I needed to do. So I told her, and she said she understood. We planned to visit each other in England and the Phils. At the end of the school year, she graduated, I finished teaching, and we drove across country to LV, and spent the summer there. That was when I worked for a newspaper and for my Senator. For months I'd worked my butt off trying to realize any part of that dream: teaching anywhere in the Philippines, doing anything in the south, working with any Muslim-Xn dialogue group. Nothing. People said I was dumb for wanting to go to the south. It was too dangerous. Even the Peace Corps had pulled out. The newspaper and the Senator's office each wanted to promote me, to pay me more, and to have me work exclusively for them. Partly I felt like an idiot for wanting to go to the Phils. Everyone pretty much said I was. But in the fall I got a ticket to go anyway. Two weeks before I was supposed to go, I got an email from the pres of a Jesuit university in the Phils. He said they'd read some of my essays and thought they had a place for me. He said I should take a look at their website. The school was in the south, and the website emphasized that the school made Muslim-Xn dialogue central to its mission. It was crazy. I'd been given back the initial dream/calling but better than before -- they wanted me to teach college philosophy. I thought I just would teach jr high, as I had before. The girlfriend broke up w/ me a few days before I went. It was pretty painful. She dumped me hard. But it was good too. Led to the best prayer and insights of my life probably. But that's another story. Sorry this one was so long.

 

[acidboy]

that is a very fascinating story, mtm... i'd love to hear more.

 

[Dakota rube]

Cool mtm. Was the voice external? Do you think anyone else could hear it?

 

[emptym]

Thanks guys. It was and wasn't like a normal voice. I was alone in the car, so I don't know if anyone else would have been able to hear it. I'm not sure how exactly I heard it. All I can say is that it was like the whole universe, and something more, was talking to me.

The process afterwards was just as interesting, to me at least: working my butt off to realize a part of the goal, seeming like it won't happen, getting other tempting offers, and then the initial goal being given back to me but better than I'd imagined. God seems to work that way w/ me often, except never again w/ that voice. Usually, it's through some vague desire that I have to try to grasp and clarify for myself, by sifting through feelings, reasons, concrete conditions in the world, etc., and with the help of discussions w/ others, prayer, etc. I definitely have a lot to be thankful for too, DR.

And I'm looking forward to talking more in the Phils, AB.