Catholic Hermit: What Are the Odds?

Praise God Almighty!  What are the odds of my Lyft rides today?  God provides!  Besides my truck battery being dead again despite turning it on and running it for awhile in "park" each day, I need another jump and probably a new battery.  Regardless, I am not physically able yet to drive myself to today's dental appointment.

I'd put off this appointment for over three months, as the crown on upper left molar--or whatever causing the pain--has been terrible and never simmered down all this time.  I had the dental work done prior to July 23 spine surgery.  So as I needed to do on Monday, I got a Lyft ride to the dentist this afternoon, bracing myself with accepting the suffering surely to come in the form of a low-to-ground economy car which is a "given" to increase back pain.

But what shows up but a fairly new SUV Mercedes-Benz?  I declared it a miracle to the driver!  The Mercedes driver, like the driver of the burgundy red Dodge Ram 2019 truck of Monday's return Lyft ride from the osteo doctor appt., does the Lyft driving as a little extra something to keep busy and make a little money.  These two drivers appreciate their comfortable vehicles for all the other times they drive themselves places.

The dentist--marvelous Christian man--had me see his son, who I met for first time today.  He is a recent graduate of dental school.  Congratulations!  After prodding the upper back molar and telling me what a beautiful crown it is (of which at the time I was convinced was awful crown and wished I'd not have it!), he took x-rays.  His dad came to confer and look also at the x-rays, and immediately pointed out that the nerve root shows signs of irritation and something to do with ligament change that also indicates root canal needed.  But it is not abscessed, so that is good.

I'm new at this stuff--crowns and root canals.  All I know is that the molar seemed slightly improved lately, but has relapsed a bit again.  I thought the crown would have to be removed to do the root canal, but to my amazement and gratitude, the root canal specialist just goes up through the crown to do the work.  Not fun and costly, but for pity's sake, I am so blessed to be able to have dental care and dental work done, and be able to pay!  I can wait awhile on it, though, for I'd like to be able to drive myself; the Lyft rides just to get to appointments add up in cost, and my low income cannot sustain many added costs if can be avoided.

But this is the "crowning" point of this post-sharing.  What are the odds of what comes next regarding my Lyft ride back to Solus Deus Hermitage?  I had mentioned to the dental receptionist (all of them are marvelous Christians) how God had provided two miracles in the Lyft vehicles for the last two rides.  I said I'd better buck up and accept whatever comes in the return trip from the dental office, as I made the necessary smart-phone contacts for  Lyft.  The receptionist and dentist and his son said maybe God will give you another miracle.  I said I was not expecting more than all the good already; and within myself I let the Lord know I offer whatever pain as prayer.

(Just prior to leaving for the dental appointment I'd received an email from someone who reported the situation with an adult daughter, the young woman who was in love with a young man who was not feeling the same way in return, was being tempted by a previous employer with even a higher salary offer to return to a job 2,000 miles away and where it had not worked out well before, but where the young man lives.  Just two weeks ago the young man had told her to not return on account of him.  It was heartbreaking for the young woman, but as we humans often do, it is hard to accept when God is not opening doors in the way we'd like.  He also allows the devil to tempt us to do what is not the most prudent, and also to deceive us often with our emotions, to what is not so promising.  I'd written to the young woman's mother that I will continue prayers and specifically would offer the Lyft rides and whatever pain may be increased.)

Back to the dental office.  I arranged for the Lyft ride home, and lo and behold!  Up popped a vehicle diagram and my ride but three minutes away.  "Look for Edward in a 2019 Dodge Ram truck."

No way, but yes--this is the very Edward and his marvelous, smooth-riding, burgundy red truck that picked me up from the osteo center on Monday!  Again, I ask:  What are the odds?  So another miracle, and an even less painful ride than the SUV Mercedes, and Edward and I had a chance to further connect with conversation and amazement at the unusual blessing.  He had just left work and turned on his Lyft work connection.  (This is by no means a small area in which I am located, so it is truly unusual and highly unlikely to have this occurrence.)

I'm offering prayers for the young woman as praise of God since I do not have increased pain as also an offering.  I'll offer the $50 transportation cost, too, as prayer.  And I'm offering this portion of Psalm 13:6, as well, to the glory of God and in thanksgiving for the joy of daily miracles!

"Though I trusted in your mercy,
Let my heart rejoice in your salvation;
let me sing of the LORD, 'He has been good to me.'"

The dental staff and Edward the Lyft driver were given by God a manifestation of interior aspects of the mystery of the Church--through example of the personal intimacy of Christ-- despite the hiddenness of a nothing consecrated Catholic hermit.

God bless His Real Presence in us!

Catholic Hermit: Hermit Medical Considerations

Along with relocating and adapting to different type of surroundings, a Catholic hermit can determine if or not to consider various medical options.  The sense of spiritual detachment and holy indifference plays a role in all aspects of a hermit's discernments, but I suppose also standards in upbringing as well as financial ability helps determine what and how much medical procedures one includes.

As a consecrated and privately professed and avowed Catholic hermit of nearly 18 years now, with a prior two years of discernment and practicum in hermit life, my medical situation has been one of no insurance available for the bulk of that time period.  

After the life-altering accident in 1984 and loss of career came the loss of ability to be insurable in any financially reasonable terms.  So I had to pay out of pocket expenses up until I was able to be allowed Medicare coverage of which I have to pay the full price.  However, I am most grateful that I can get it at all and that due to a legality of being granted coverage due to minimum 10 years of marriage, long past, to a spouse who has full coverage, free of cost.

I consider it all as God's providence, whatever the means of the temporal world.  Thus while I must have the means to purchase the Medicare quarterly coverage which includes vision, excepting eye glasses, and I must pay for a supplement as well, each month, or risk in my last housing situation financial ruination, now I will continue the supplement as it is prudent to do so, evidenced by the head injury costs alone.

While I do not have dental insurance, it is something to consider, depending upon monthly costs.  Yet, a hermit can make decisions such as how far to go in dental care?  Over a year ago I did need a crown and possible root canal due to a dentist years ago cracking a molar and not detecting his error.  Another dentist saw the crack and had to grind the tooth and put on a crack which lasted over 20 years.  Good investment with a good yet not high-cost dentist.

Teeth cleaning for a hermit?  I had to let my upbringing of excellent dental care slide in the past five years due to the costs while I was trying to get out from under the old farmhouse hermitage situation.  Since another molar flared two days prior to moving from Te Deum Hermitage (now the buyer's home, for he had no inkling it was a hermitage at all nor did he need to know), a dentist in the new location remedied it by grinding down some areas and detecting a crack that he is sure occurred from the body-smack, head injury incident in July.  

The tooth crack seems stable; the grinding helped the pain.  But there is the matter of much-needed teeth-cleaning--something growing up my parents and siblings had been taught as good dental prevention with twice-yearly appointments.

A cancellation arose in this new-to-hermit's dental office, and I have decided to have the teeth cleaned and checked for any additional issues.  The price is not high, but I do consider it a luxury as well as hopefully a prudent precaution to avoid more costs and conceivably unnecessary suffering later on.

However, such as with last year's molar needing a crown and squeaking by without a root canal, an option was to have the tooth simply extracted.  Much less cost, for sure, but someone advised that if an upper molar the bite not affected as would be a lower molar.  And, over more time should God provide more years of life to this hermit, a lower molar tooth extraction could lead to more involved dental problems requiring yet more costly procedures.

As in many aspects of living in our day and age, a hermit's health considerations and decisions might seem the same as lay persons' life decisions.  And they are other than with what might be more a spiritual slant to the hermit's health care choices.  There is the aspect clearly of what is prudent, what the hermit can afford or not, and always, ever, God's will in each present moment.

There is not the matter of others around to consider, such as who shall care for the hermit or contend with the hermit's added suffering.  (How a bad tooth can pain!)  There is not any set meal plan that would inconvenience others should a toothless hermit need only a pureed diet, for example.  There is, however, the consideration of the poor, of the homeless, and always, for me, the consideration of hermits of yore and my Gospel Rule of Life, underset by my Nine S' platform--simplicity, suffering, selflessness, stability coming forth for dental decisions.

I will joyfully and gratefully accept the gift of God's goodness in a cancellation providing an appointment to have the old teeth cleaned.  I praise Him for now having the money to pay for a dental appointment, and I will offer the time in the chair as prayer for all the people around the world--and hermits of yore--who suffered terribly with poor teeth and indeed, few or no teeth at all!

It seemed rather miraculous to me, given how I had to live for the past five-plus years, and for awhile without running water and a longer while without a sink--so that I did not even brush the teeth much at all.  But I knew to floss them frequently, just from sensing them.  Thus perhaps that along with God's providence, are the reasons why, amazingly, there were no cavities when the new dentist took x-rays when scouting the molar pain problem.

The other day I noticed a hermit whose bishop had established a type of hermit order or such, much like a religious order--or at least he must have had that in mind at the time.  No one has joined the hermit over the years.  But included after a year of postulancy or novitiate (although they used different terminology to describe a period of discernment that was rather detailed), the potential hermit-to-be would not need health insurance.  I presume that includes dental.  Perhaps the Diocese pays for the lone, extant hermit's medical costs.

There again, I notice the variance in hermit life in this country alone, from diocese to diocese, and who knows how many traditional hermits there are, such as myself, living the eremitic consecrated life in the Church yet in far more hidden manner, with God as the Superior and a holy priest (parish or religious order) in alter Christus, to help discern God's unfoldings for the individual, consecrated Catholic hermit.  Otherwise, the Bishop acts as Superior, which is fine for those who feel called to the more recent mode of Catholic Church eremite being and doing.

I just found it fascinating that in the aforementioned hermit's situation, or for those who might "join" the seemingly religious order of hermits that never materialized with members nor unlikely will, that the health insurance appears to be provided by the Diocese--and will be should anyone become a hermit member and remain more than the first year.  No judgment on my part of right or wrong--just another way a bishop chose and following bishops have accepted in providing health insurance for a hermit and potentially more hermits who might have joined.

It is not my way, of course, nor will it be.  The Lord provides, yes, regardless.  If there comes a time I cannot afford a dental appointment or have just enough for a tooth extraction, then that is fine.  In the meantime, I will do all I can to remain healthy with diet, tooth brushing, flossing, and occasional check up if the teeth prod with pain.

Interesting, though, how in considering the topic, one's upbringing in such as dental care is a factor in life-long habits.  Cosmetic procedures now popular in mouths of all ages--teeth whitening, teeth straightening:  Not for this hermit.  Yet, I'd not judge should some hermit feel a need for some reason.  We are all in process--lay persons, consecrated hermits, consecrated religious, priests.

Ultimately, at least for this hermit, a toothache can be offered as prayer; but it definitely gets in the way of other holy pursuits!  Plus, as I have written in other blogs of the past, a toothache would be considered a side-ways cross, an unnecessary suffering for it can be remedied.  Thus for now, dental preventative measures, since I am now able to pay, seem prudent to me.