Nearer Than We Imagine

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (c. 1611-1691) was a lay brother in the Parisian Carmelite Order. He taught that "our whole purpose...[is] to adore God and to love Him, without worrying about the rest." While looking at a barren tree one wintry day, the eighteen-year-old Lawrence realized that this tree would blossom once again. He was profoundly moved by God's providence and overcome with love for God. He was not only converted that day but also forever committed to serving God wholeheartedly. He believed that by accepting God's help and guarding our souls, keeping them in tune with God's will, we can have constant fellowship with the Lord. For decades, he practiced and taught this life-transforming path to God. Brother Lawrence died peacefully at about the age of eighty. His writings and spiritual advice, as well as a short account of his life, were compiled and published in 1692 as The Practice of the Presence of God, of which millions of copies have been sold.