Why Do You Seek The Lord?

There is another point from chapter thirteen in Jan Johnson's book Enjoying the Presence of God I really need to address. Have you ever caught yourself praying to God hoping for a spiritual encounter, or because you wanted God to give you this gigantic Aha! moment? I have. It was after I had returned from the Walk to Emmaus retreat. The Walk to Emmaus is an awesome retreat, and if your church offers it, or is connected to an Emmaus Community it would definitely be worth your time to go. The Walk to Emmaus was a tremendous spiritual high. I felt so close to God over the weekend I just did not want the wonderful feeling of encountering God to end. In my prayer time I would try very hard to remember how I felt on the walk, and to open myself up inside to feel that presence of God again. However, gradually, the feeling lessened and lessened. Jan Johnson explains the point of constant prayer is to, "[b]e faithful in pouring yourself before God because God is the one you Love, not because you want stirring insights" (95). The Walk to Emmaus was a mountain top experience. However, we were not meant to live on top of the mountain. The trick is to remember who we experienced while we were there, and to rely on that remembrance of strength and energy while we walk through life's valleys.