Turning on the Oven

I have not been a lover of ritual, so I thought. I definitely don’t like having to be told what and when I should do something. I don’t like having to do something. I prefer spontaneity. I have felt, for example, that I want to praise God, but not on a timetable. I don’t want God to be scheduled. I want to have the freedom to focus on God.

Now I realize I have been something of a snob when it comes to ritual.

I am just beginning to understand how ritual came about and why rituals are needed.  I am beginning to see that I do have rituals with God. I do set up meetings with God. If I did not, I might not listen to God on a regular basis. I know I wouldn’t. That I sit down first thing in the morning with God is a ritual, a ritual of my own making. It is not imposed on me.

As soon as I wake up, I come downstairs to write to God.  I can’t even imagine ever coming down in the morning to make breakfast or something. I can’t imagine a morning without God first. I think I would be lost.

If I didn’t have the ritual of personal Godwriting™, for example, it wouldn’t happen every day. I want it to happen. I want to sit down in the morning and write to God and hear from God. I want to think the words He gave me a while ago:  “Good morning, O Lord, I am in Thy Presence…Thy Service…Thy Heart. I am Thy Province, and I am Thy Happiness.”

If I didn’t have the ritual of writing down a Heavenletter every morning, days might go by before I would think of it. I might even think of it and put it off. As it is, I don't leave it to chance.

A ritual is a routine.

A ritual is associating something with something else. In my case, I associate Godwriting with first thing in the morning. First thing, I come downstairs, and I race to my office. The time may vary, but first thing, I show up ready to carry God's wares.

I realize that a ritual is like a baker’s baking bread. He makes it every morning, not just when it occurs to him. And he knows to turn on the oven first.

With Godwriting, it’s like I turn on Heaven first.

Oh, I just heard God say, "Heaven is always on."