I decided to read this little book again. It's small and 300 years old, but powerful in helping me continue to learn how to cultivate a deep presence of God throughout each simple day. As a humble cook, Brother Lawrence learned that his communion with God was the same whether he was in the kitchen or on his knees in prayer. Some of my favorite quotes from the book are:"I'm not anxious about my purpose in life because I only want to do God's will."
"The difficulties of life do not have to be unbearable, It is the way we look at them- through faith or unbelief- that makes them seem so. We must be convinced that our Father is full of love for us and that He only permits trials to come our way for our own good."
"God desired to keep saints for himself until the end of the world. These saints would pay Him a respect worthy of His grandeur and majesty and would be models of virtue because of the holy example they set. God was not content to have these extraordinary men born in the early centuries only. He still raises up people who perfectly fulfill these two duties of a saint and who guard the fruits of the Spirit in themselves, transmit them, and make them live again in others."
And here's my favorite... Brother Lawrence knew that the more the thing he did was opposed to his natural inclination, the greater was the merit of his love in offering it to God. He knew that the pettiness of the deed would not diminish the worth of his offering, because God- needing nothing- considers in our works only the love that accompanies them.
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