Living beings, upon attaining a threshold level of self-awareness, begin to yearn to reunite with their Source. The weird thing is that these living beings initially seem unaware they are literally made up of the substance of the Source. Thus, they do not seem to understand it is as impossible to fear God as it is to fear oneself. Yet the evolution of living sentient beings is eventually defined in terms of the beings' ability to discover this relationship between the original God Source and their own selves. Once this happens, the dominant theme of existence is love. One can love oneself, and all others, because one sees that all of everything is created from the same fabric ... Love is the theme of God, the glue that keeps the universe together.
The time of busyness does not with me differ from the time of prayer, and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen, while serving persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God in as great tranquility as if I were upon my knees in prayer.
~ from THE PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD by Brother Lawrence
I have quitted all forms of devotion and set prayers but those to which my state obliges me. And I make it my business only to persevere in the Holy Presence, wherein I keep myself by a simple attention, and a general fond regard to God, which I may call an actual presence of God; or, to speak better, an habitual, silent, and secret conversation of the soul with God, which often causes me joys and raptures inwardly, and sometimes also outwardly, so great that I am forced to use means to moderate them and prevent their appearance to others.
~ from PRACTICE OF THE PRESENCE OF GOD by Brother Lawrence
