Along with complete trust in God, Brother Lawrence espoused a complete acceptance of whatever comes into our life. Trust and acceptance, of course, go very well together, because the great trust in God makes acceptance much easier. Knowing that God can and will get you through anything that happens in your life, naturally leads to not caring so much about what is coming your way. These two practices anchor you firmly in the flower. Totally believing the truth (roots of the flower) that God will provide for you and get you through whatever happens in your life, naturally leads to a willingness (the stem of the flower) to accept whatever comes along. When this acceptance is complete, you have reached the state of “detachment” that St. John of the Cross was talking about. In the state of complete acceptance and detachment, all the attachments, coveting, clinging and resisting, which are characteristic of the weed; are absent; and therefore absent are also the afflictive emotions which they cause.
Brother Lawrence has three wonderful spiritual practices here, and each reinforces the others. First, start a continuous conversation with God. Pick the person of the Trinity with whom you are most comfortable (God the father, Jesus , or The Holy Spirit, and start sharing everything you think or do with that person. At first you may frequently forget to talk to God for a period of time, but as soon as you remember, start up the conversation again. The more you do this, the easier and more natural it becomes, until it just happens all your waking moments. Of course, when talking to a human person, focus completely on that person, but when you finish that conversation, immediately start conversing with God again.
Second, make the decision to totally abandon yourself to God right now! Tell God right now that from now on you will trust God completely in every matter that comes into your life now and in the future. We are talking here about complete faith in God, which is ultimately a gift from God to us humans. But to receive this gift, your mind must be disposed to receive the gift. So making the mind shift right now to trust God completely disposes the mind to receive this gift. The mind that uses its free will to put its trust in money, success, status, prestige or its own abilities and talents is not disposed to receive this most precious gift. And you can not do this once and for all, because the false self wants to take this commitment back. So each day, we must make this decision anew and tell God again that you will trust God in all things; and ask God to give you this total faith and trust in God. And if my experience is any indication, be careful about trying to have it both ways; that is the thought that says “I trust you completely Lord, but please give me lots of money in case you don’t come through for me.” Jesus and I have had more than one laugh after spotting this thought in my mind. Jesus had made it abundantly clear that we can not serve both God and money. If you serve money, you will be in the weed with its constant emotional misery. If you serve God unreservedly, you will be in the flower with Jesus’ peace, joy, and love. You decide. Now!
Third, we need another mind shift to radical acceptance of whatever comes into our lives. Drop the thinking that says “I can’t possibly be happy, unless reality gives what “ I Want.” Take on the correct thinking that says “I can be truly happy all the time, no matter what comes into my life, because I have God and God is the only source of true joy in the universe.” This change of thinking uproots the like, which is the root of the weed, and roots you in the truth, the root of the flower.
The spiritual practice of catching your mind thinking a lie to be true is a very powerful practice, not only for acceptance but for complete spiritual transformation. We detailed this practice in earlier chapters. It’s the practice of uprooting the entire weed, and establishing roots in the flower.
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