Simple Isn't Always Simple

Studying the life of someone like Brother Lawrence is quite inspiring and yet, comparing oneself to someone like him can seem quite taxing, wondering how anyone could attain the sort of internal peace and submission that he was able to find. While speaking to a friend who has a very different personality type than my own, I realized that his views on Bro Lawrence are affected by the way he views life and by his own spiritual experiences. This friend pointed out that while it was wonderful that Bro L was able to submit quite easily to the will of God and to not concern himself with the issues and faults of men, that this must have been a great grace that he received because for most of us, we don't even know how to begin to get to a place where we could find that peace. This friend would describe himself as a worrier who has almost unattainable expectations of himself and others. To find a true peace within is a real struggle, almost a battle. So I wonder if what appears to be a story of simplicity in the life and experiences of Bro L, is actually a quite advanced spiritual state than what I first believed it to be? 

To me, I read it as a simple task to submit one's will to God, to trust in Him daily, moment by moment and to not hold on to any fears, anxieties, etc... With my personality, this isn't quite as difficult as it might be for my anxiety ridden friend. I'm fairly used to laying things down and trusting God. Where this comes from, I'm not quite sure. It may have been laid in the foundation of my childhood upbringing. I could point to people I know who lived life this way. Their example was impressionable and quite certainly a gift to me and to my siblings and to some of my friends who were also surrounded by people of the same attitude and demeanor. So, my whole life I've believed that following the example of people like Bro L should be quite manageable but I am learning the older I become that with so many things, my simple outlook on the world isn't really that simple. It's actually quite complex for someone who isn't geared the same way as I am and undoubtedly I have much to learn about it all.

I used to judge those who were different from me as difficult or disruptive or people who easily accepted bad behavior as fine. They had the problem and needed a Savior and they were miserable because they wouldn't just accept the truth. It seemed simple to me but with so many things in life, our experiences and views of the world are complexly different from those of others. So much misunderstanding is caught up in this very thing. What you believe and find important in life comes from very personal experiences that carve out expectations that control your view. Until we try on the views of others by wearing their very personal, prescription glasses, we may not ever come to understand where they are coming from. 

Bro L shared his very unique experiences in life that led him to a state of beautiful trust and servitude to his Creator. I can read about his experiences and can align my own to his but expecting anyone else to grasp those experiences exactly the same way is like forcing a round peg through a square hole. We aren't all made the same way. Yes, we are made from the same clay, from the same Creator but with very unique tweaks and environmental factors that make us each unique. Grace is something that is a huge factor here. Extending it to ourselves and to others is key. God certainly extends it to each of us impartially. Learning to be in His presence as He has created us is what I am starting to believe is important here. He'll do the bending and molding to bring each one into the fullness of His image. We can't do that for someone else but we can read the experiences of others, like Bro L, and find truths that are impressionable and real and perhaps some day attainable. It's just not as easy as I once thought it should be. We must trust God with what He can do with each of us given our very unique set of characteristics.