I did a very bad thing.
Money being a little tight, Paula and I agreed not to exchange gifts or go on a fancy date. Instead, we planned a modest dinner at a “family dining” restaurant a few blocks from home.
I forgot.
I did not intentionally break the date. She wasn’t stood up on purpose. I got busy doing things that were good and helpful to others. I did not mean to ruin the evening. I just forgot.
And that is inexcusable.
I deserve the dog house. I hurt the one person I care about more than any other person in the world. If she had forgotten me, I would have been hurt. But it hurts even more knowing that I hurt her. It isn’t about missing an important day. It isn’t about missing out on some time together. It isn’t even about romance – or the lack of it. The real issue is that I allowed little things, secondary things, non-essential things to crowd out the all-important things. I let the mundane distract me from the extraordinary.
There is no pain quite like the pain of causing pain to someone you love – someone who loves you.
But there are some lessons for me here -- and for anyone who wants to talk with God. Let's not miss them.
God has been teaching me: An essential aspect of prayer is relationship building. In prayer we build and strengthen our relationship with Avinu*, Our Father. He has loved us since before he spoke the world into existence. He delights to hear our voices. He willingly shares and feels our hurts and disappointments. To him, the mundane aspects of our lives are important – even extraordinary. But when we allow those mundane things to crowd him out of our thoughts and actions, we damage that relationship.
Prayer starts here:
- Realizing that an important part of prayer is building our relationship with God.
- Treasuring that relationship so much that we won’t let anything else get in the way.
- Being so in tune with that relationship that we're careful not to hurt or disappoint the one who loves us.
Richard
*Hebrew for "our father"
