The Inner Life

Sometimes we all have to push.  This is literally true for a mother in labor, but as spiritual beings we also need to push.  The acronym P.U.S.H stands for: Pray  Until Something Happens. 

Photo by Wolfgang Moroder.

In our spiritual lives of prayer moments arrive where we know we are on the cusp of something.   Perhaps we have come to an important discernment or we ache for an answer to the “whys” or “hows” to move forward in our relationship with God.

Our inner life and the life of prayer that flows from within is often a labor of love.  This labor is often real work, difficult now and then, at times hard to even enter into.  If we PUSH during these moments, we honor that the fruit of prayer isn’t always immediate. 

While not instantaneous, there is a momentum and sense of peace that comes with our persistence in prayer.  We may pray for the grace to see  beyond the sacrifice and surrender towards the joy that comes with bringing something new into the world.

The Life Within You Letters

Labor was a whirlwind: My contractions began but they are not regular so I took a deep breath and did some final preparing …. water breaks … we still have time, Daddy don’t worry so much …  Oh Baby, those contractions are not something you can prepare for! … Epidural or not? … Time to push, breathe through it, push, breathe, yell, cry, push, breathe … I can’t push anymore and the nurse leans over to gently but sternly say “the only way to get through the pain is to push Baby out” … and I push again and I hear “there’s the head” … one last big push. I cried when I heard you cry! Baby, when they laid you on my chest my heart exploded and my pain was relieved. You are of the love of my life whom I just now get to see, and hold, for the first time. You are mine and I feel like I already know you, your needs and your desires. 

 

 

  • What are some moments when you have truly felt the joy of Christ? Was there suffering or pain involved before you had to push/persist through?

      

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