Selection Sent Hermit

The following is the selection the long-time friend sent this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit the other day.  It most likely is from a book of such writings in which God spoke to two older British women.  The two wrote down the Holy Spirit's messages, given them in early part of 20th century, published in small book titled God Calling.

I appreciate the reminder of each week being a week of progress, steady progress upward that we may not see but God sees.  I consider today, after a night of trouble getting to sleep due to increased physical pain--this time from the heavier gardening efforts yesterday.  The actions are not essential, the gardening not critical any more than any other action or movement.  It is, it is physical effort, however, with much prayer and silence of solitude in God.

Today it is already early afternoon, and the body must be forced out but gently, firmly.  To rest all day is not going to help with the progress of the body building up again, after resting quite a bit over time, from many pain sieges.  The Lord sees my effort.

This morning a young spiritual friend called, and we discussed aspects of St. Hildegard de Bingen's Third Vision.  We particularly discussed the messages on the images of globes rising and falling, relational to Christ's rise in light, being born on earth, then falling with man's rejection of Him, then rising with his earthly mission successfully completed, our salvation redeemable. 

Hildegard writes of the whirlwinds, and my friend and I reckoned these with aspects in our daily lives, and how good to live through the whirlwinds and yet also to seek to not have whirlwinds as distractions.

My friend mentioned that it seems since my coming here, to this desert existence, on the desires of family members, this house has seemed to have whirlwinds and to wear me out, distract, take energy away from the spiritual writing that this friend says she's always thought a major desire of God from me.  We are praying that God let me know if I am to give up, bail out, or to write more and read more spiritually in the hours of bodily rest required by bodily pain, or to keep at the work efforts and not be concerned as to how much accomplished, but wait until God shows the next step, the next place.

I did come to the realization that in my life now, there is nothing else other than one basket remaining.  And that basket is the spiritual life with God, and I must put all eggs in that basket.  It is not as if I have come to this final basket of my own desires; all other baskets have faded or become not possible or unnecessary.  

Perhaps the Lord is preparing me for my physical death; or He is wanting of me to not spend more earth time with the trials of such a major undertaking here; or He simply wants me to keep climbing the stairway slowly, without even seeing the next step but feeling my way without seeing, without knowing, but to simply keep going.  Persevere. Persevere.  We don't know for now the specifics; but God will tell me His direction, His will.  He speaks in diverse ways.  Listen!

Regardless, here is the selection a friend since childhood sent the other day.  It is good.  Enjoy!

LOVE'S OFFERING

I am your Lord, gracious and loving.  Rest in My Love; walk in My ways.  Each week is a week of progress, steady progress upward.  You may not see it, but I do.

I judge not by outward appearances, I judge the heart, and I see in both your hearts one single desire:  to do My Will.   The simplest offering by a child brought or done with the one desire to give you pleasure, or to show you love, is it not more loved by you than the offerings of those who love you not?

So, though you may feel that your work has been spoiled and tarnished, I see it only as Love's offering.  Courage, My children.

When climbing a steep hill, a man is often more conscious of the weakness of his stumbling feet than of the view, the grandeur, or even of his upward progress.

Persevere, persevere.  Love and laugh.  Rejoice.