More From a Modern Day Mystic

I read through Frank Laubach The Game With Minutes at the gym yesterday.  At first glance, as I mentioned in my last post about him...it seems hokey.  More of a Purpose Driven Life kind of thing but even hokier than that.  It was written before I was born...in the early fifties.  It is from a totally different era.  No doubt, it was a different world then, a different culture.  It was probably a simpler time. 

I also read, about half way through, the excerpts  from Laubach's journal during one particular year of his many years as a missionary.  I think it was the year 1930.  (running late...no time to check for sure...but around that time)  It was much deeper and more poetic than The Game With Minutes....and I am going to write one more post about this guy, focusing on what he has to say and what he learned during that year.  The excerpts, published with permission by his son, is called Letters of a Modern Day Mystic. 

So, the point of The Game With Minutes is to bring Christ into our day....to have him dwell with us.  We know he does dwell with us, but how do we develop an awareness of his indwelling.  That is the tricky part.  And trickier still is how to keep this from being a "have to"...or a "try to" from self effort...and to be sure it is Christ...not a delusion that Christ is walking and talking with us. 

For me, when reading the simple suggestions, "I want that" kept running through my mind.  Situations, possibilities came up as I read. 

But for this post, I am copying a few more excerpts from "The Game" with a comment or two from the peanut gallery (yes, me)

We whisper ‘God’ or ‘Jesus’ or ‘Christ’ constantly as we glance at every person near us. We try to see double, as Christ does—we see the person as he is and the person Christ longs to make him.Remarkable things happen, until those in tune look around as though you spoke—especially children.The atmosphere of a room changes when a few people keep whispering to Him about all the rest.Perhaps there is no finer ministry than just to be in meetings or crowds, whispering ‘Jesus’ and then helping people whenever you see an opportunity. When Dr. Chalmers answers the telephone he whispers: ‘A child of God will now speak to me.’ We can do that when anybody speaks to us.

And is my day not ripe with this opportunity?  Some days I answer the phone hundreds of times a day.  Would my day take on a holier feel if, rather than sighing at the interruption when the phone rings, I would say to myself, "A child of God will now speak to me"

And when in a group, in a conversation, he offers several suggestions.  One is to silently hum a hymn (which today would be more likely to be a praise and worship song....or Christian rock) and while I do oftentimes hum to myself....the following two suggestions resonated more with me. 

 Silently pray for each person in the circle.

Keep whispering inside: ‘Lord, put Thy thoughts in my mind. Tell me what to say.’

He closes the article by saying....

We may have a glorious succession of heavenly minutes. How foolish people are to lose life’s most poignant joy, seeing it may be had while taking a walk alone! But the most wonderful discovery of all is, to use the words of St. Paul, ‘Christ liveth in me.’ He dwells in us, walks in our minds, reaches out through our hands, speaks with our voices, IF we obey His every whisper.

I am reminded of a verse from the Psalms.  A verse that has not fully actualized in my own life....but to which I aspire...and I am closer, much closer than I was just a few years ago.....

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy; 
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.