Preciousness and Fragility

I am taking a course on Teresa of Avila by James Finley and listened to him this morning talk about how praying "that I might see."  And that our ultimate situation is "Christ Consciousness."

 What prayer helps me to see is my preciousness and my fragility.  Both.

The preciousness is this awareness of God's infinite love that is flowing out to the universe and to each of us.  I wonder if any of us can ever know how loved we are?  We can say it and sometimes get a glimpse of it - but to live in it would be wonderful.  I believe that so much of our low self esteem and so many of our bad decisions come out of a lack of awareness of our own preciousness.  

And, at the same time we are so fragile and so vulnerable.  Our bodies, our minds, our world, our families, our economies.  There is nothing we can count on or control ultimately.  Those awarenesses are when we turn to God  - who is like a shepherd, a rock, a loving father, "our help in ages past". And in that turning to there is a kind of peace.

So I start this Wednesday morning with a prayer that i might see.  My prayer is that I might become aware of my tendency to not be aware of my preciousness and my fragility.

That Christ consciousness gives me both peace and purpose in this time - and actually in every time.

I will end with a prayer by Teresa of Avila

Lord, grant that I may always allow myself
to be guided by You,
always follow Your plans,
and perfectly accomplish Your Holy Will.
Grant that in all things,
great and small,
today and all the days of my life,
I may do whatever You require of me.
Help me respond to the slightest prompting of Your Grace,
so that I may be Your trustworthy instrument for Your honour.
May Your Will be done in time
and in eternity by me, in me, and through me. Amen.