turning

How, then, shall we lay hold of that Life and Power, and live the life of prayer without ceasing?  By quiet, persistent practice in turning of all our being, day and night, in prayer and inward worship and surrender, toward Him who calls in the depths of our souls.  Mental habits of inward orientation must be established.  An inner, secret turning to God can be made fairly steady, after weeks and months and years of practice and lapses and failures and returns....Begin now, as you read these words, as you sit in your chair, to offer your whole selves, utterly and in joyful abandon, in quiet, glad surrender to Him who is within.  (A Testament of Devotion by Thomas Kelly)

Turning.  It sounds so simple.  How do I live a life of praying without ceasing?  How do I continually abide in Christ?  By turning...by continually turning my heart, my soul, and my mind, always and again, back to Jesus.  By establishing practices and building habits of inward orientation that will remind and encourage me regularly to turn to Him.  The monks have bells that ring, and call to them throughout the day; calling them back from the places to which their minds and hearts have wandered...back to prayer, to God.  Maybe I need some bells too, or something that serves the same purpose.  Maybe I need to set up reminders in my life and in my days that will help me remember to turn...back to Jesus, to live my life always and everywhere in continual union with Him.  And maybe allowing the word turning to be my companion both this day and this week will be a good place to start.