Late yesterday afternoon, the heat pump, a year old, ceased functioning. Calls were made to the installer, to no avail. Called the electrician who has been assisting with the overwhelming work here, re-doing much that the first contractor who cheated, did and did not do well. Did all the breakers, twice. Removed batteries and reset the remote for the heater. Still does not work.
The cold increased. Have a space heater trying to keep any bit of warmth. Found sock hat and today will find the gloves and wool socks. Got under the covers and tried to stay warm. Then the power went out totally in this area. Sometime during the night power was restored, as the space heater turned on again.
Without the heat pump, however, it will be very difficult to exist outside of staying warm in the bed unless wear coat and hat and gloves, and difficult to do work bundled like that inside. Trying to keep up the attitude, but it is not easy after so much expense and effort, and the memories of nearly freezing to death in here last winter. Two nights it seemed as if hypothermia would be this hermit's end. And it would have been all right.
One wonders, or at least this hermit had some thoughts come immediately to mind. It certainly seems a direct correlation that with the increase in prayerful reading of Scriptures throughout the day and night, the forces of darkness stirred and interfered with the technology of a certain, nearly new, heater. Then power going out in the area when no winds, was another odd event.
This hermit has had such varied interference with the temporal and especially with electronic items, in the past. In a lovely home years ago, shortly after converting to Catholicism, the smoke detector would start beeping when the hermit would pray silently. Seemed to be some direct connection, but in practical wisdom, hired an electrician to check the smoke detector that was near the bedroom, where would pray most, resting in bed or ill in times of pain sieges.
The electrician dismantled the smoke detector and said was not the problem. He could not figure it out. With no wires, no batteries in it, he handed the smoke detector to this hermit's hands. The detector immediately started beeping. Granted, the electrician was spooked, shrugged his shoulders, said he'd send the bill, and made a quick exit.
On other occasions, when the hermit's children were still young, and the hermit not yet a hermit, at a certain time of intense prayer, the television in another room turned on spontaneously. There is more to this event, delightfully of God.
The children were then visiting their father in another state, on enforced visitation. He had quite a temper, and the children had called to say their father had lost his temper and repeatedly kicked a step-brother. The police were called by another step-brother. This hermit's children's father presented himself well to the police, giving them his career and status, and the abused child feared too much to tell the truth.
This hermit had been praying into the night for the safety of the children, far away from home. It knew the emotional and physical abuse and fear the former husband could invoke. Thus, in the middle of the night, when the television turned on and quite loudly, this hermit went to that room to figure out, literally, what on earth was going on!
The television was indeed on, a woman psychologist was talking about some child who had been abused by his father. The psychologist was speaking with a mother on the program, and assured her that the child would be safe and all would be well. The holy moment was not lost on this hermit who was not a television-watcher; the set had not been on since the children left for their two-week, summer visitation.
On other occasions, this hermit (even as far back as childhood) has had evidence of God's reaching into this temporal realm and utilizing electronic waves to alert and give messages. Some could term this phenomenon as "telekinesis", or distance movement. However, these experiences are not the causal effect from a person but rather are of Divine intervention, a telekinetic reaching into the temporal as signals. Thus, this hermit has for years considered them "signal graces."
Everyone experiences signal graces. Not everyone recognizes them as God's reaching into our temporal circumstances as Divine interference, delivering messages or giving reminders of His power and might. There is always a reason for His reaching in, and since the universe and our bodies are filled with electrons, it makes sense that often the events occur with tangibles of earth, including our bodies.
In some signal graces that this hermit has experienced over the years, God allowed kinetic interference in ways that allowed the dark angels or forces, to act. The purpose always seems to be for this hermit to turn body, mind, heart and soul all the more to Him--desiring love, asking for strength and faith, provided as always by His Real Presence.
The response we must learn to whatever signal graces is to offer more prayer, more praise, more devotion and love--especially love!
When one experiences enough credible and witnessed events of the forces of good and evil interacting through temporal objects and events, there leaves little room for doubt. The challenge, though, is to remain strong in the midst of difficulties and not to despair.
Last night, the battle was intense; despair was lurking in the cold and dark. But this hermit endured, and today the dawn breaks, and the prayers must continue, and the body will endure until it cannot endure any longer. The hermit will call the heat pump installer again and pray he responds. Whatever it takes!
In the worst of the cold of the night and after the area power went out, leaving not even a space heater functioning, the thoughts came that this hermit could not get through another winter like the last one. The finances are dangerously low now, and the obstacles remain high. However, thinking one cannot endure another winter like the last is not helpful thinking. It lacks faith. It lacks a certain detachment from the physical and from willing what one desires and not leaving all to God.
Such thoughts do not reflect the Order of the Present Moment which would have the thoughts and the will place all trust in His Real Presence in each moment. If that moment arrives in which it cannot endure, His Real Presence will be the One to determine that moment--not this hermit.
Even if the hermit has to hibernate like a bear and remain under the covers for the bulk of the days and nights, that is what will be. "What is the worst that can happen?" keeps all in better perspective, as well as to meditate upon Jesus' nights when he went off to the mountain to pray.
That became the thought last night, here in Te Deum Hermitage. Surely Jesus experienced cold. There was no harnessed electricity in His time on earth. He had no bed in the mountains, no heavy blankets, no sock hat, no gloves, no flashlight, no bucket, no roof overhead when it rained.
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From today's Gospel reading at Mass:
Then he [Jesus] told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig round it and ! put manure on it. If it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.” ’
This hermit must persevere in faith, hope, and love. The prayers and devotions and efforts spiritual shall continue, as well as whatever work efforts possible. This soul must bear fruit in each present moment, or at least prepare itself to better possible yields and not "waste the soil" with despairing thoughts.
Praising God in all situations and thanking Him for signal graces--even in electronic interference reminders of His Sovereignty--will fertilize soil that seems weakened or frozen.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Little children, let us love one another and remain in His Love!
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