I have been rereading my collection of C.S. Lewis books. At present, Letters to an American Lady is dominating my thoughts. The book is remarkable in so many ways not the least of which is Lewis’ longsuffering patience with a woman who seems to have no end to her physical maladies and complaints about life. I say that not to minimize the woman’s real anxiety and pains but to highlight his patient and generous counsel to her over a decade of correspondence.
But there is also great insight into a variety of subjects not the least of which are his comments on prayer. The quote below captured my attention this evening.
“I sometimes suspect that what we feel to be our best prayers are really our worst; that what we are enjoying is the satisfaction of apparent success, as in executing a dance or reciting a poem. Do our prayers sometimes go wrong because we insist on trying to talk to God when He wants to talk to us.”
Letters to an American Lady, 73
Clive Staples Lewis
It’s now 4:30 AM and I have been sitting in the chair in the living room since 3, reading the psalms and trying to listen to God. I think Lewis is right. It is hard to shut up and listen. Sleep is now capturing my eyes and so I will ask our Father to inhabit my dreams and perhaps, allow me to hear more clearly in the daylight.
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