The Fire and the Shamash
The Rama's longing for Hashem in hisbodedus ran so deep that he feared his soul would leave him, and he asked his shamash to watch over him.
It is told that Rav Menachem Azaria would set aside time to sit alone in hisbodedus (secluded meditation), pouring out his heart before Hashem until his love for the Creator burned within him. Over the years, the longing grew so strong that he began to fear it might draw the soul out of his body.
He therefore gave his shamash a clear instruction. At a fixed hour each day, the shamash was to come into the room and stand guard over him, so that if the Rama's devotion rose too high, he would be called back to the world.
For a long time the arrangement held. Then, one day, a blaze erupted in the town. People ran, shouted and tried to save what they could. In the confusion, the shamash lost track of the time and of his duty.
By the time he found his way back and entered the room, it was too late. His holy soul had already cleaved to everlasting life in the World to Come, and his passing came in the midst of what he loved most, standing before his Creator.
Source: Toldos Asara Maamaros, the biographical introduction printed with the Rama's Asara Maamaros
Most of us are busy enough that we only turn to Hashem in a rush. Today, set aside five or ten minutes in a quiet place with no phone and no tasks. Say one honest thing to Hashem in your own words: thanks for something, a request, or simply that you want to be closer. You do not need flames or ecstasy. A few sincere minutes, repeated daily, are the beginning of a real relationship. If the time slips away, begin again tomorrow without guilt.