At the time Brother Lawrence took his monastic vows, his soul was afflicted with great internal suffering. The Abbe of Beaufort pointed out that one reason for this suffering was God’s process of purification. As painful as the situation was for Brother Lawrence, the Abbe noted that God often uses such situations to test His servants as a prelude to bestowing the treasures of His wisdom. Brother Lawrence reflected on the frame of mind God wanted him to have so that he could be flooded with the grace of God:
“For it no longer matters to me what I may do, or what I may suffer, provided that I remain lovingly united to His will, which is my only concern.”
Brother Lawrence spent the last 40 years of his life implementing this moment-by-moment practice of God’s presence, in a silent and intimate conversation with Jesus. Over a period of time, this practice became second-nature to him. He described the change in his thinking:
“I came to a state in which it would be as difficult for me not to think of God as it had been difficult to accustom myself to thinking of Him at the beginning.”
Tomorrow’s blog: “God’s infinite treasures and abundant grace”