Sorry, readers, that I've not been writing much. My shoulder (two previous surgeries), elbow, hand--upper back--overworked! Now my left hand tends to swelling and pain, although a dose pack of Prednisone was helping within a few hours. This morning, though, I did a small amount of weeding, and my right hand numb again.
I went to the clinic on Monday morning to get the prescription. I'm not to use my upper body much, which when trying to finish the renovations so I can sell and move on, is not that practical. Two young men, college boys, have been here two days last week and will be here now two days this week, working on the exterior projects and carrying in all the hardwood flooring boxes, doing much lifting and making great progress. I, of course, have used my arms and shoulders in doing certain tasks that to me seemed not that much!
Writing intensifies the issue, and besides having daughter and grandson here a week ago to help work, and how much I worked then on installing upper stairs, some drywall mudding and sanding, and painting with her, doing some plumbing, and our installing a front walkway--my arm, elbow, and hands really flared all the more. Slightly better now, but thus the lack of my writing on my blog.
Spiritually, it seems as if I am distracted by the work efforts. It takes organization and thought to instruct others once the mind figures out what needs to be accomplished by priority and then to explain and instruct, and interact. I'm used to so much solitude that this time period is a reminder of the life of a consecrated Catholic hermit must flex and flow with God's will and providence.
How thankful am I that God has provided these wonderful young men to drive a distance to help, and how thankful I am for the family member lending me, short term, money to be able to try to finish, and that includes being able to hire the young men. Another, a former student of my daughter, came again last week, two days. He is Haitian and has lived through trials that most of us cannot even imagine surviving. He is but 21 years old, and is so filled with the Holy Spirit!
We had quite the miracle last week regarding his car. The miracle involved holy water and praying in heartfelt manner, for his car to start, as it was not operable for over three hours of trying all means of repairs and battery charging.
Why did I not think of bringing out the holy water to begin with? I suspect it has to do with the distractions of so much work efforts and having to hone the mind on skills, some of which I've never utilized nor tried. We had prayed, of course, but the holy water was miraculously efficacious just at the point that the man and his wife from church were driving to bring a tow chain so I could tow the young man and his car back to civilization, late at night by then.
Slowly reading John of the Cross, now on his wise counsels. I cannot say that I ponder them while I work, for much of the work now requires mental focus on what I'm to do and the power tools I am using. It is a good thing to be reminded and humbled with how lay persons must live daily--focusing on their jobs, tasks, family rearing, marital relationships, and also wishing they could be closer to the Lord consciously. Yet, for lay persons the mind must focus on the temporal tasks and responsibilities.
A consecrated Catholic hermit usually and typically has the luxury of focusing on God in a conscious manner, with few distractions otherwise. Having gotten myself into a challenging real estate purchase, all well-intentioned and researched in advance, has brought with it, however, the most spiritually challenging and growth enhancing phase of my life thus far! But after this, simplification with less responsibility and not such intense manual labor, will be the goal.
I've had to enter into trapping and shooting raccoons. This has been rather a horror, considering I've never touched a gun in my life nor killed any animals prior. I was the type who'd take a tissue to get a wasp or bee out of the house. Then here I had to eradicate the rat situation, and now the raccoon problem. I've had an infestation of raccoons to the point of their dangerously stalking, coming close as in within a couple or three feet. Raccoons are major carriers of rabies, and having so many in a relatively closed in area, was becoming a danger.
For good measure, I am naming them alphabetically, with saint names, before I dispatch them. It is illegal to live trap and relocate raccoons. The legal recourse is to live trap and shoot. Such a shame they are overpopulated, and a man with the department of natural resources said people feed them and cause the animals to become aggressive and invasive. Shame on people feeding and hoping to befriend wild animals!
So, my dear friends in Christ, I have not written much lately on my blog, and I will not for awhile yet due to the numbness and upper limb inflammation and over-use as well as those others coming to help me with the work. Daughter is flying back in a couple weeks to help for a few days, and I'm to have some work completed, necessary for us to make further progress. It is practical at this point to utilize the help when help can come. The young men helping are doing so as their summer jobs have not yet commenced.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Even when distracted by earthly work and responsibilities (even if we got into them without realizing), we can in our subconscious--in our hearts and souls--love God above all things and love others as God loves!
I went to the clinic on Monday morning to get the prescription. I'm not to use my upper body much, which when trying to finish the renovations so I can sell and move on, is not that practical. Two young men, college boys, have been here two days last week and will be here now two days this week, working on the exterior projects and carrying in all the hardwood flooring boxes, doing much lifting and making great progress. I, of course, have used my arms and shoulders in doing certain tasks that to me seemed not that much!
Writing intensifies the issue, and besides having daughter and grandson here a week ago to help work, and how much I worked then on installing upper stairs, some drywall mudding and sanding, and painting with her, doing some plumbing, and our installing a front walkway--my arm, elbow, and hands really flared all the more. Slightly better now, but thus the lack of my writing on my blog.
Spiritually, it seems as if I am distracted by the work efforts. It takes organization and thought to instruct others once the mind figures out what needs to be accomplished by priority and then to explain and instruct, and interact. I'm used to so much solitude that this time period is a reminder of the life of a consecrated Catholic hermit must flex and flow with God's will and providence.
How thankful am I that God has provided these wonderful young men to drive a distance to help, and how thankful I am for the family member lending me, short term, money to be able to try to finish, and that includes being able to hire the young men. Another, a former student of my daughter, came again last week, two days. He is Haitian and has lived through trials that most of us cannot even imagine surviving. He is but 21 years old, and is so filled with the Holy Spirit!
We had quite the miracle last week regarding his car. The miracle involved holy water and praying in heartfelt manner, for his car to start, as it was not operable for over three hours of trying all means of repairs and battery charging.
Why did I not think of bringing out the holy water to begin with? I suspect it has to do with the distractions of so much work efforts and having to hone the mind on skills, some of which I've never utilized nor tried. We had prayed, of course, but the holy water was miraculously efficacious just at the point that the man and his wife from church were driving to bring a tow chain so I could tow the young man and his car back to civilization, late at night by then.
Slowly reading John of the Cross, now on his wise counsels. I cannot say that I ponder them while I work, for much of the work now requires mental focus on what I'm to do and the power tools I am using. It is a good thing to be reminded and humbled with how lay persons must live daily--focusing on their jobs, tasks, family rearing, marital relationships, and also wishing they could be closer to the Lord consciously. Yet, for lay persons the mind must focus on the temporal tasks and responsibilities.
A consecrated Catholic hermit usually and typically has the luxury of focusing on God in a conscious manner, with few distractions otherwise. Having gotten myself into a challenging real estate purchase, all well-intentioned and researched in advance, has brought with it, however, the most spiritually challenging and growth enhancing phase of my life thus far! But after this, simplification with less responsibility and not such intense manual labor, will be the goal.
I've had to enter into trapping and shooting raccoons. This has been rather a horror, considering I've never touched a gun in my life nor killed any animals prior. I was the type who'd take a tissue to get a wasp or bee out of the house. Then here I had to eradicate the rat situation, and now the raccoon problem. I've had an infestation of raccoons to the point of their dangerously stalking, coming close as in within a couple or three feet. Raccoons are major carriers of rabies, and having so many in a relatively closed in area, was becoming a danger.
For good measure, I am naming them alphabetically, with saint names, before I dispatch them. It is illegal to live trap and relocate raccoons. The legal recourse is to live trap and shoot. Such a shame they are overpopulated, and a man with the department of natural resources said people feed them and cause the animals to become aggressive and invasive. Shame on people feeding and hoping to befriend wild animals!
So, my dear friends in Christ, I have not written much lately on my blog, and I will not for awhile yet due to the numbness and upper limb inflammation and over-use as well as those others coming to help me with the work. Daughter is flying back in a couple weeks to help for a few days, and I'm to have some work completed, necessary for us to make further progress. It is practical at this point to utilize the help when help can come. The young men helping are doing so as their summer jobs have not yet commenced.
God bless His Real Presence in us! Even when distracted by earthly work and responsibilities (even if we got into them without realizing), we can in our subconscious--in our hearts and souls--love God above all things and love others as God loves!
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