The Lord Sets Down and Lifts Up

Our lives can be read in the Psalms.

Here, the nothing Catholic hermit was dunked down, down, down.  Then with one final phone call to Raphael, leaving a message that it needed help and was too cold, His Real Presence sent a return call as a life line.  Help is on its way, tomorrow.

In the meantime, the hermit has been given that raising up necessary to do some tasks that Raphael and his men will find helpful.  Trying to clear clutter and organize tools and building materials--that which this hermit can lift and organize.  Raphael and men will make room in pole barn and carry out furniture that is stored in here, that keeps from more work being easily accomplished...like drywall.

The goal is to do whatever to help make the hermitage warmer, to retain heat, as living in 43 degrees is not easy.  Upstairs got some warmer, but thankfully the temps outside have warmed some, helping the body.

One can begin to have greater compassion and understanding of children and adults in tough living conditions, either too hot or too cold, who then do not do well on a job or at school, or who give up either with their bodies and emotions drained of energy.  One can understand the give-up mode.

Fr. V. is so correct in that this hermit needs to be yet more aware of how the devil will use any means to disrupt the body, mind, heart and spirit.  Yes, there is a prevalence of discounting the devil, as we can become out of balance with not keeping God's power and might and sovereignty in mind.  

However, combatting the devil can be matter of fact and does not need to consume. It is just part of the spiritual life, and an important part, as is praise and prayer and love.  Yet, awareness and combat are vital and not to be dismissed.  Spiritual warfare is reality.    Good vs. evil is nothing new.  It is that evil can be ignored, and then our foothold becomes unsteady.

We can be taken down for any number of reasons, and all has spiritual underpinnings for our souls.  Yet we can learn to turn repeatedly to His Real Presence.  Down, down, down, then when so emptied other than calling out to Him, at some point:  up, up, up.

The cycle repeats, and hopefully over time we become strengthened and all the more sure of our turning to His Real Presence.  The down, down, down has benefits; and over time, we learn to consider it like the ferris wheel, in which the down parts are considered always as merely an (even necessary) condition of the rising.  It is all part of the ride.

The infrared heater did not do a thing to warm the place.  Thankfully can return it.  But did find, in shoving heavy things enough from one wall, to get behind and start placing 2x4's between studs at the floor, two spaces that had cold air coming up from the crawlspace.  They are now stop-gapped.  Any progress is progress.

All this is fodder for linkage to the life of the soul, to growth toward His Real Presence.  Any progress is progress.  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow.

The ferris wheel will rise, and then it will descend again before another rising.  In the spiritual life, one must hang on just as solidly in the descent and lower regions, as when rising or at the pinnacle.  If the ferris wheel would become stuck at the height while we are on this temporal ride in this temporal world and in our temporal lives, being on top would soon lose its delight.

In the spiritual life,  being at the height is marvelous, for it means we are no longer enclosed in a circus ride's compartment, no longer riding an amusement.  We are freed and exist outside the limitations.  The soul who seeks God is one that increasingly learns that freedom within, to without, in faith, hope, and love.  

We float in snippets, and those come when we perhaps come to a point of allowing the down parts and up parts to be something outside our souls.  Sometimes it becomes too much to express but worthy of pondering and praying for the graces necessary.

Part of the grace is to realize that the Lord sets down and lifts up.  Either are facts of the temporal and the spiritual realms.  If we come to grasp that the setting down is not negative but rather a necessary aspect of the lifting up, we will make movement toward freedom in body, mind, heart, and spirit.  This likely will not happen other than in bits and pieces.  But each bit is a worthwhile segment.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another for God Is Love.          

Postscript:  Mark just called.  His truck is not working, so he cannot come today to do some necessary electrical in order for Raphael and men to hang drywall.  Good!  This is an prime example of what could seem down, and it is a downward movement in the temporal flow.  

However, it now can be viewed as a necessary part of the rising.  So set the sights on the rising to come, and realize that the back area cannot be drywalled, but other areas can.  Or, the landing can be constructed, or part of the ceiling done--not all as plumbing needs to come through.  Or, whatever bits of work on upstairs sections, even though nothing can be completed in totality.  

But know for sure, that His Real Presence allowed Mark to not be able to come today, for very good reasons and practice in the spiritual life, for faith, hope, and love.  Am praying for Mark's truck to be repaired for his sake, and to see that it is a necessary down for Mark, and there will be the rising, as well.