open-handed prayer

i remember when i first became a christian, 25 years ago, a friend told me that coming to god is a bit like holding your hand out with the palm held upwards, so that god could take all of your life from your open hand, and then give it all back to you again along with everything else he wanted you to have. but if you only offer god a closed fist, he can take nothing away and cannot give you anything as you won't be able to hold it in a closed fist.

mark e. thibodeaux, s.j. says a similar thing in his wonderful little book, 'armchair mystic - easing into contemplative prayer'. "my task in prayer, then, is to learn to approach god with open hands, so that god can place his gifts there".

but open-handed prayer is a risk, as it requires faith and trust in a god you can't see. though, that's the magic of a life of faith, and 25 years later, i have learned that this invisible god is trustworthy as he takes my life and gives it back to me along with so much more than i could ever have imagined.

it makes sense to me of jesus' words in john 10:10 when he said, 'i have come that you may have life, and have it in all its fulness'.