Beautiful, touching, insightful, liberating... all sensations that describe Kate Braestrup's latest book, "Beginner's Grace: Bringing Prayer to Life."Having read her other two books, I had a feeling that this book would be good. Her style of writing is so ... consumable and yet thought provoking. Between laughing out loud and making those "awww" sounds, I realized that I was completely engaged in the book.
When I worked as a chaplain in the hospital, I was often "asked" to pray, or "sensed" to refrain from prayer, or "searched" for the right words to say, or simply just let my presence be my prayer. In this book, she covers it all.
I connected with her in so many ways; from the prayer of "wow!" she exclaims to the sun as it rises over a frozen lake to the need to interrupt a situation with a prayer to name the sacred moment to the prayer for my enemies.
And, although her world (the out-of-doors) is so different than mine (the indoors), she captured so many subtleties that infuse the honor of prayer. This book reminded me of the sacred ground on which we all walk when we live in a spirit of prayer.
Take off your shoes, in this moment, and let's pray!
Pray diligently. Stay alert, with your eyes wide open in gratitude. Col. 4:2
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