Jesus in My Mind's Eye

The following story is true.

And I just want you to see how much I trust y'all to even go public with it!

For the last few weeks I've been changing up my prayer habits. Trying to get more in touch while avoiding distractions, I've been taking 20 minute walks each morning. Out in the early morning light with nature all around it is easier to keep my mind on connecting with God. Notice that I said, "easier" not "easy." My mind can provide all the distractions to mess up 20 minutes without being in the house as I have found out.

Some of the time I will say the rosary but this is preceded by my attempts to get into a more personal relationship with Jesus. I will imagine that he's walking beside me and then, somehow, it is easier to just simply tell him what is bothering me, what I hope for, and then to try to listen.

That all backfired in a way last week. It was the first true cold snap of the season. I was wearing sweat pants and a jacket. In my mind's eye, Jesus strolled alongside. I was thinking over how my image of Jesus matched all those traditional pictures of the long dark hair and beard, the brown robe. Shaking my head, thinking, "well, at least I realize I'm doing it."

Suddenly, I was completely caught off guard when "mind's eye Jesus" took the initiative.

"I suppose I have you to thank for this?" he said, laying a hand on the collar of a white t-shirt showing under the neck of his robe. "Keeping me warm?"

I snickered. I hadn't seen that in my "mind's eye" but was colder than I'd think a robe could handle.

"And these," he continued, sticking out a sandal shod foot from beneath the robe. Uncharacteristically, the sandal was on over a white tube sock, "are so my feet don't get cold?"

I couldn't help it. I howled with laughter. So glad that none of the other early walkers were around at that moment.

Ok, so maybe not so much time should be spent on the visualization as on the communication.

On the other hand, those are true moments of connection even if it isn't what I would have thought of communicating about!