I sought the LORD, and he answered me
I was delivered me from all my fears.
Look to LORD that you may be radiant with joy…
When this poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all distress, I was saved.
The angel of the LORD encamps
around those with God-attention and helps them.
Taste and see how good the LORD is;
blessed are all who take refuge in God. – Psalm 34.5 – 9
Life situations come and go. Some are difficult. Others are bliss. There are moments through our day and certain seasons through our lifetime, where we feel fearful. Where we need a great deal of help. Where we feel everything is on the line. When we wonder if we can make it one more moment, and question how things will work out. These moments do not endure forever. They will pass. And living through it, we learn something about the nature of our attention and the reality of divine presence.
Since it is easy to forget prior or deny future suffering in present good times, it is important to remember how those difficult moments felt when we were experiencing them, and to rehearse how we were helped out of those moments.
At any given moment, there must be millions and millions of people around the world feeling overwhelmed by such a moment or season in their life. And our empathy can be a kind of unseen Angel to them at this moment.
Notice the invitation in the Psalm to partake in definite actions amidst the life situations: Seek. Look. Call. Attend. Taste and See. Take refuge.
I know of few practices that combine all these dispositions as simply and deeply as a twice-daily practice of Centering Prayer. The practice may not change your life situation but it will shape how you perceive, endure and experience that situation. Perhaps it is that very twice-daily practice of Centering Prayer that is an Angel of Presence encamping around you in the silence.
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