I don't need to love the crudity, childishness, neediness for engagement, the persistence despite my explaining I do not feel well enough for socializing. My body needs much quiet which is another reason why God in His omniscience chose the hermit vocation for me years ago: He knew what the pain is called, how the Arachnoiditis occurred, knew the earthly spouse would leave and wanted to free me for Himself, regardless. God knew the pain would increase and with it a host of maladies odd and discomforting to downright debilitating. God knew and knows me and loves me for His own purposes.
I grasp loving God above all else; God, to me--His Real Presence--is easy and delightful to love and pour my whole self into Him! But this other aspect of God's Law of Love, to love others as God loves (including ourselves), had not been so easy because there are aspects of us humans not kind, not loving, not pleasant, not considerate, not in love with God, and not seemingly even very good in behavior.
But the simple answer as to how to love others as God loves, is to love their souls and desire that their souls be saved. It is not that we must do anything to try to save them, nor even do or say anything, not have to make them our best buddies for sometimes that can lead to troubles we are unprepared or should not deal with. But we can love their souls and pray their souls will be saved.
I thought the neighbor man and his wife were leaving, separately, and going to be gone a week. I was looking forward to being able to go outside with the pup Mercy, and enjoy peace and quiet--not be pulled into conversations or asked obvious questions not needing to be answered, often repetitive of previous time I stepped outside. But no, at least he is still here, and was watching me from he perch on his back porch, of which I had not noticed because I thought due to initial silence, he'd left.
The sense of privacy was shattered when he spoke. He commented on what a nice dog I have. This has been his latest repetitive comment and seems very nice. It is always the same, a lead in for more chit-chat that often includes his asking questions of which he knows the answers. But I decided to repeat my same response of "Thank you; yes she is a good dog" as I walked her toward the back door, knowing I did not want to be watched nor dragged into schmoozing talk, which is what proceeds if I do not remove myself.
He started in yet again, saying they need to work on their dog's barking and.... I do not let him go into the rhetorical questions and asking what I think they ought do, for they have no intention of a bark collar such as the wife mentioned a trainer had said was needed, and they were horrified and fired the trainer. I simply said, "It's the breed of dog, his instinct to guard and protect. He can't help it." I said it kindly, for. I mean it. Of course, the dog could be trained. German Shepherds are trained for use as guard dogs and police attack dogs, are intelligent but not necessarily great house pets if one is not going to get them trained, not willing to keep on leash when outside their fenced area. Yet it's not the dog's fault.
By then I was inside with little Mercy, said another prayer of love of the man's soul, prayed for him to desire Christ, and prayed for his wife who either was on the phone with him (he talks on speaker phone seemingly wanting me to hear his conversation if I'm outside) or she put her head out. I don't look, obviously. My part in being their neighbor is to love their souls as God loves and to pray for their souls to be saved.
I sure hope people are praying the same for me!
Regardless, I think this kind approach of simply answering with same answer to his same questions, head toward my house while doing so, and being positive with voice, going inside, and praying, is the way forward in Christ.
I love this selection St. Augustine (354-430) wrote. Very helpful in the growth I need regarding putting God's Law of Love--loving as God loves-- prayerfully and actively in daily life.
This People Honors Me with Their Lips, but Their Hearts Are Far from Me"
"'The law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death' (Rm 8:2)....Saint Paul says that the Law of Moses has been given to prove our weakness,and not just to prove it but to increase it and thus force us to find the doctor.... 'Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more' (Rm 5:20; cf. 3:20).... But why did the first Law, written with the finger of God (EX 31:18), not give us the essential assistance of grace? Because it was written on tablets of stone, not the tablets of flesh that are our hearts (2 Cor 3:3).
"It is the Holy Spirit who writes 'the Law of the Spirit of life' not on stone but in the heart: this Law of the Spirit of life that is in Jesus Christ in whom the Passover has been celebrated in truth (1 Cor 5:7-8), has delivered you from the law of sin and death. Do you want to have proof of the manifest and certain difference separating the Old Testament from the New?... Hear what the Lord spoke by the mouth of one of the prophets: 'I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts' (Jr 31:33). So if God's Law is written in your heart, it does not bring forth fear [as at Sinai] but pours a secret sweetness into your soul."
When one is desirous and asking God to teach the very soul to love others as He loves, the simplicity of the ability becomes known to the mind and heart, as well. God's Law of the Spirit of Christ is written upon my heart; His Law of Love draws forth from Christ's Spirit, the Law of God that Christ teaches is the one law necessary, the law above all others.
O my dear His Real Presence--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--thank you for the law of the Spirit of Christ written in my heart and soul. Thank you for explaining to me so simply and purely, how to love others as God loves! May I always be in the Law of the Spirit of Life and live my life in Your one Law Jesus says is above all others and the one necessary: The Law of Love. May I ever love You, His Real Presence, above all else and love others as You love all our souls and desire our salvation! Amen!
God bless His Real Presence in us! Love in His Love!
~ from a blessed, suffering, joyful hermit of His Real Presence!
