Usually, we want to change ourselves in the way we think is best. We want to become the kind of person we envision. But that is not always the right path for us. Perhaps I am meant to become someone more like the kind of people I tend to reject or look down on.

In the past, I often judged others as gullible or naive. I didn’t want to be like that - nor did I want to be seen that way. I did everything I could to avoid appearing gullible.

The idea of being seen and judged that way by others would have been deeply painful for me.

But what if God wants to transform me in a way that makes me appear exactly like that in the eyes of others? In the past, I would have resisted with all my strength. That was something I never wanted to become.

To entrust the transformation of my being to God means letting go of that resistance and surrendering to Him.

It means trusting that God will lead me on the best possible path - a transformation for which I will, in the end, surely be happy and deeply grateful.

Sitting in the presence of God

When we open ourselves to God in pure prayer, we sit in silence in His presence.

We "gaze upon God" - as Christian mystics would say. In His presence, He begins to work within us.

The transformation of our being is inevitable.

It happens slowly but steadily. Often, its effects only become visible after weeks or months.

If we allow it, God can bring about a profound change within us.

A wisdom begins to move and guide us that far surpasses our own. The result will be better than anything we could have imagined. I have experienced this firsthand.

The experiences I will describe in the following chapters will make this even clearer.