Just Like Breathing

Back in the seminary, a common homiletics technique was to start a homily with a story. Ever since my time in the seminary, I'm not incredibly fond of that technique. It can be effective if done well, but often I find it distracting and a waste of time.

One of the stories I heard in a homily was the story of a wise, holy man instructing a young man on the importance of prayer. They were walking by a river and the wise man motioned for the young man to kneel down next to the water. The old man suddenly takes the young man's head and forces him underwater. After a little time had gone by, the old man jerked the young man's head out of the water. Shocked and gasping for air, the young man looked angrily at the old man. "When you realize that prayer is as important as breathing, then you will learn how to pray."

I hated this story, and not just because I later saw it in a book by the heterodox Jesuit, Anthony DeMello. Isn't there a non-violent way to convince a person that prayer is vital? How about a way that doesn't involve drowning? Maybe it spoke to some people, but not to me. I couldn't help but envision myself as the young man, eager to learn from the wise man... and that if that happened to me, the lesson I'd come away with is not to ask old, wise men for help.

Still, the underlying principle (prayer is important) is a huge lesson. And, I begrudgingly admit, the lesson is one that everyone has to learn by some sort of experience. It doesn't really matter how much someone tells us the importance of prayer. For us to truly believe its value, we have to experience it.

Recently, I had a wake-up call in my prayer life from a very unlikely source. I started doing push-ups every day, and I have done multiple sets of push-ups every day (but one) in the past two weeks. It was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that getting healthier involved doing little things each day... and that I didn't have to lose 40 pounds in a week. I've averaged about 60 pushups a day on week days and far fewer on the weekends. Let me tell you, the effect it had on me was incredible.

My spirits were higher. Things didn't get to me half as easily. I felt like a million bucks those first few days! Chalk it up to endorphins or slowly developing discipline... whatever the exact cause, the effect was amazing. What I came away with? I can't believe I didn't do this before; something so simple making that big of a difference!

I immediately thought of my prayer life in the same way. Holiness is gained on the battlefield of everyday life. Many saints have said it; this isn't an original thought. Doing push-ups has been that experience for me--the convincing, lived experience. Doing small things well on a daily basis makes all the difference in the world!