Quiet Reflections and Prayers
After a while,
I learned to listen
to the quiet prayer within.
It began as a whisper
without words,
but its presence was enough
to light my path
when I felt most challenged.
It reminded me of
the all that was miraculous
and led to a place
of compassion for myself
and others here at this time
as souls in human form.
Following a prayer from
a deeper part of me
felt more like listening than
creating plans of action.
It meant turning down
the volume on old patterns
of thought and trusting my own
inner resonance in deciding
where to place my feet.
It was comforting to feel
the familiarity as I moved
a little closer to my own
quiet prayer.
There was a willingness to show up in each new moment — letting go a little more of the continuous narration of mind — a deeper surrender into the silent space of What Now? It took a bit of adjusting to the inner quiet — a retuning to more subtle thoughts and experiences.
What Now wasn’t bound to old storylines. It was a place of possibilities and seeing from a higher view — where I was free to listen to and follow a quiet prayer instead.
The more I listened to life, the more I noticed the part of me that could hold and let go of any experience. There was a softening each time I stood a little more firmly in my heart and dared to linger in the silent space.
Words formed out of this place soothed and echoed in places that had seemed unhealable. And there was tenderness where there had been only pain.
There were times when I sensed listening for inner resonance and trusting the quiet whisper of truth in each moment had become a little more important. I had learned the importance of stopping to listen to life and gained a respect for its mystery, but it was during these times when I was called more deeply within that I began to notice just how much I could soften my experience in the world and be in a state of listening prayer in any moment.
The new chosen path was an unbelievable contrast to the old. From the outside, it didn’t always appear to be all that different, but from the inside it was clearly new. Instead of being pulled under by thoughts and experiences, all that appeared in my mind and in the world was seen as raw pieces of one continuous prayer.
It took a little practice to become willing to walk a new path. Finding it meant reaching inside for the light needed to take each step. It meant remaining willing to listen to life and feel my way, even through uncomfortable experiences. It meant trusting a whisper of truth to become louder and the most chaotic experiences to soften and be used to create something beautiful, but not all at once and not all alone.
Help us to remember that underneath
all that appears is a quiet space —
where we know we are more than
the parts we play.
Remind us of the sacred art of healing
from within. Amen
When the world seems
most noisy, point us to our
hearts. Speak through us,
reminding all parts of us of
our mission to reflect
what is within
into a world in need of
softening. Amen
Quiet our hearts, just enough —
that we may know the love
beneath all things.
Give us courage to choose,
in each moment,
where to go from here. Amen
Laurie's Notes 