Just Pray

We had just concluded a late summer three mile run on a beautiful central Pennsylvania mountain pass.  I was bent over huffing and puffing with my fingers clutched to my knees when I heard my brother talking.

At first, I thought he was saying something to me.  I looked over at him to respond and noticed that he was looking above the tall pines into the clear blue sky talking.

"Thank you, God!  Thank you for this day and this beautiful place.  Thank you for giving us parents who loved the mountains.  Thank you, God!"

His prayer was out of the blue and caught me off guard.  It was one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard.  It was as natural as breathing.  God's beautiful creation prompted him to just start praying out loud.

Over the centuries, Christians call times like this, "responding to promptings of the Holy Spirit."  My brother was overwhelmed with God's grace in that moment, so he did the only think he knew to do.  He started talking to God.

When you look into a crystal blue sky in the middle of God's majestic mountains, just pray.  When you are looking into the eyes of a newborn baby, just pray.  When you listen to a voice message from a friend you haven't heard from in a long time and who was an important part of your spiritual journey, just pray.

Just pray.   Out of the blue.  Just pray.  This is what Christians do when they are prompted by the Holy Spirit.