How can any one offer proof of God?

A question asked of me today made me realize yet again how much I interact with my world as a mystic. A man wanted to know what proof I had of God and how I could say a prayer of surrender, much less believe that such a prayer could reorder the direction of my life. How can any one offer proof of God? Or proof of love, for that matter, to someone who finds love impossible to accept? I told him that I had plenty of proof of God, but nothing I could actually prove. Such is the way of the mystical nature of the Divine. But I understand his quandary – what proof have we? The act of surrender baffled him. Surrender to what? And who or what Divine Being is out there is listening? I agreed. “Out there” looks like air to me, too. I told him that he had all the proof he needed in that he was terrified to utter the prayer of surrender for fear that it would be heard…by something “out there”. No other proof was necessary. I utter the prayer of surrender because I know it is heard by something Divine “out there.” He fell into silence. He had no explanation for his fear of surrender – other than faith that something would happen to him. Something “out there” was listening – his fear was that he had no control over the consequences. But isn’t that what surrender is all about? This is the other side of mysticism…proof that comes through the prayers we are afraid to say because they might just be answered. We ended our conversation at that point. I withdrew into a quiet moment of contemplation. I have never met any one who is not looking “out there” for something greater than him or herself. Even if all we ever say is, “Help me”, or “Why me?” or “Life is good”, we are hoping a celestial force is listening. And it is. Heaven hears every whisper. Today I live in the gratitude that “out there” is an intimate Divine Universe, a mystical mystery. What looks huge is really small; what appears small is really enormous. The slightest prayer has the profound consequences. Whisper to heaven this day.