Praising God in All Things

Well, the bathroom outlet situation also now includes light fixtures that would have to be moved.

I've been practicing the action of body, mind, heart and spirit in praising God today ever since being reminded of the resolve of just a day ago to start praising God in hope of simulating to some level the continuous praising of agod of the angels.

So this afternoon I praised God for the heat, the watering hoses, legs to walk, food, and a bathroom at all.

Per the electrician's request that I find the bathroom mirrors in the pole barn and bring inside to see where the outlets are off, I did so.  That is when I noticed the light fixtures are "off" now with the changed cabinet base sizes.  Praise God in all things!

Time to call Lowe's and explain I will need to bring these cabinets back, as well and why, unless they might consider to pay for electrical and drywall work necessary to move outlets and light fixtures.  The employee thought unlikely, that.  So he got to work looking in the cabinet catalogue once I explained the issues of other employee saying there was not a bathroom-height, 30" drawer base.  Thus, the reconfiguration of cabinet sizes threw off-kilter the electrical work done based upon the first cabinets that ended up flawed and discontinued.

Praise God in all things!

 I assured Don that I am not all upset nor do I want to have to explain the past sorrowful cabinet ordeal to the new manager.  He agreed.  (I always remained on kindly terms with him even though he had done wrong by misleading on first order of kitchen and bathroom cabinets--resulting in management involvement and total replacement.). Praise God for the death of my will so that I do not react as I used to, before God's will entered in.  But yet, I still do have my own fault-prone intellect that gets in the way.

So Don got busy looking in catalogs.  He found in the upgraded line of cabinets from this company, that they do make a bathroom-height 30" drawer base.  The style would look the same or similar as they are slab drawer fronts, and the finish can be identical.  Praise God!

I recall asking the other employee about that possibility back before these second set of cabinets were ordered, but she said it would be the same in upgraded line:  No 30" drawer base.  I'm not sure why...other than she thought that to be true, or her mind was on her upcoming wedding.  Praise God, whatever, for we are all mere, fallible humans.

Now Don is checking with some superior regarding this glitch that can be resolved for far less trouble and cost to them than an electrician and dry-waller.  Even if they balk at paying for this third order, at least one of the four is the correct size.  Only three need be returned!  Praise God either way, for this is a better solution than trying to remove (and later replace) drywall to move and rewire light fixtures and outlets.

If Lowe's refuses to fund the additional error, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit is not going to be worrying about having more on the Lowes loan on my death bed. Praise God for that!  Most "things" and situations of our temporal lives that at the time seem a problem will not be on our minds as we lay dying.

Practicing praising God in all things, all matters--a fruitful endeavor.  Consider the angels!  Such is the unfolding of today's lessons learned.  Such are the praises among many more in this hermit's daily, unfolding life.  Praise God always!

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Let is love and praise God above all things, and love others as Jesus loves us.

Catholic Hermit: Hermit Present Moments

Dear friends in His Real Presence, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit has been living the present moments with the usual, human strivings for virtue over the typical flaws and vices we face.

I've been in civilization, helping out with watching a young family member while the father was away on a job interview and the mother went to teach college course.  While there, the pain level peaked so was in bed quite a bit but thankfully able to do the driving to get the child where needed to be for activities.

The Lord provided quite a miracle and answer to prayer while there. Hopefully I can write about it this evening.  For now I'm returned to the hermitage.  I must take advantage of daylight hours to continue installing bathroom cabinets and to use the power saws to cut window trim boards--facings and casings.  This morning I ordered the bathroom door.  

Even with all the time spent on leveling the bathroom floor, the cabinets, although new, are not perfect.  Nothing in our temporal world is perfect.  We humans do our best, and even with machine precision, there are shifts and juxtapositions and imperfections in anything material.  We can either grouse about it or can rejoice that it gives us more opportunity to fine-tune what we are working with and that others' hands have worked with prior to ours.

When using a hole cutter bit on the power drill in order to cut holes for the vanity sink drain pipe and hot and cold water lines that poke out from the drywall, the drill flipped and wracked my right thumb a'plenty.  The tendons are over-worked as it is.  So it started my thinking in terms of how amazing are our hands and how useful a blessing they are in our lives.

God grant success to the work of our hands!  Today I will pray for those who have lost hands or were born without hands.  And, I will pray for those who invent and construct artificial limbs and 3-D hands and other devices that help people who are without limbs.  God grant success to the work of our lives!

More, later!  As ever, God bless His Real Presence in us!  May we all love one another, little children, in this terrible time of terrorism and mass murders in various countries around the globe.  God Is Love!

What Do You Want Us To Learn Today, Jesus?

Just as this prayer was uttered in trusting simplicity to Jesus, someone telephoned.

The person had encountered a mother who irritates and has for years.  The person apologized for griping, but felt needed to get it out--the picayune things that were observed in a brief encounter in public.

Nothing Catholic hermit mentioned having just prayed, asking Jesus what He wanted it to learn today.  Mentioned the Scripture in which Jesus says, "...learn from me."  

This hermit has done all the talking and encouraging for the person to try to let the irritating quirks or even occasional rudeness of the other person to pass, to flow away, to turn it into prayer, to conquer and not be so bothered.  However, today this nothing hermit realized that Jesus wanted it to learn to just listen and let the other spew a bit.  Then to share some thoughts on how perhaps the elderly mother was frustrated, and also that the Lord is still working on her just as He is trying to work on us.

But for the most part, it seems as if what this nothing Catholic hermit is to learn from Jesus is to just listen to the venting and frustration, sad and imprisoning as it is for the daughter who is triggered easily by any encounter with the mother.  It is part of compassion, for Jesus listens to this hermit non-stop.  

In fact, the hermit mentioned to the caller that it has finally become fed up and bored by its own complaining about the living conditions, the being taken advantage of, the losses and hardships.  Hermit sick of its own self, and yet Jesus still listens lovingly, patiently, yet tries to give little reminders to change the habits, alter the flaws into virtues or at least bring them to self-awareness and hope to turn them to some sort of good.

Can't join in with the phone caller's irks, for nothing Catholic hermit is learning yet more compassion and understanding.  It understands how an elderly person may feel--tired, pained, something maybe gone wrong this morning, trying to adapt to a retirement home, facing loss of so much of what she used to be able to control.  

But also this hermit is learning compassion for the daughter who simply cannot seem to break free of the upset that comments by and seeing her mother causes within to a point of irritating obsession.  That may not change in this life, and even when the mother passes, if she passes before the daughter (we never know, really), perhaps the memory of the mother will be irritating.

Nothing Catholic hermit is learning to listen and to understand that others may not conquer what imprisons.  Nothing can pray, and nothing can continue to learn, to ask Jesus what He wants this hermit to learn, each day, each present moment.  

Learning how boring and pointless is its own complaining about its own errors and being ripped off is a big lesson to learn today.  Learning that others have done marvelously in the footsteps of Jesus in patiently listening to the hermit's gripes (some not so patient but tried to listen) is quite a lesson, too.

God bless His Real Presence in us!  Little children, let us love one another, for God Is Love and He wants us to learn from Him all about love!

Hermit Rides Again

His Real Presence has taught much this week. The nothing Catholic hermit is thankful to not be so cold inside here, and is back in the ride of life, working on the manual labor tasks-- as well as praying and listening to lessons He is teaching.

The ferris wheel image is magnificently helpful.  It has expanded to include a street fair of life, with enticing booths galore, so that if one task or life issue is wearying or has a road-block, just turn slightly and there will be another to which to attend.  If weary, there is the little bed in the midst of mess, that offers itself for a painful back to recline.

Am gearing up for the first tactical attempt at the little exercise in dying to self and modulating the externals to hopefully ease the irritating aspects of this hermit to another who has had the courage and comfort level to express the annoying peccadilloes.  

In fact, a call yesterday brought news that the weekend's schedule is altered.  Another person is visiting there, and nothing Catholic hermit is not to come, after all. But yet still come at a certain time, in order to help with something they need.

Also, Raphael who had held out the life line which motivated this hermit to rise and begin work once more, trying anything to make progress here, ended up not coming with his men.  Nothing hermit noticed some electrical outlets not wired.  A call to the electrician, and he said he had to do more work before drywall installation in that room.  He was going to come the day before Raphael and men were to come.  But the electrician's truck alternator went out that morning, so he could not come.  

Raphael answered the call, and said he felt it best not to come, but he would send two men to at least make room in pole barn and carry out some bulky items to make more space in here to work.  He also said a man named Jorge would arrive this coming Tuesday, who could assist and work with the hermit on tasks that need two people--and Jorge knows how to do plumbing, also.

But Raphael did not send the two men, despite a call on Friday reminding in a message.  The electrician came, however, and the two of us remained focused and accomplished much.  Progress!  The ferris wheel is rising! But then it descended (does at night when tired and ready for sweet sleep), then rose, and descended, and rose again.  Such is life.

Nothing Catholic hermit is learning to enjoy the ride!  

Immediately when dusk came on Friday and the men never came and Raphael did not call, nothing hermit knew for certain that His Real Presence chose not to have them come.  The hermit is not out money.  The hermit can get furniture sliders for under $5 and even though it takes time, shift bulky furniture from right to left in the room, and back again, and bit-by-bit put the insulation in ceiling, and bit by bit ready the studs for drywall--plumb and level them with drywall shims.  Then, if no help even then, can at least drywall the lower parts, even if must use smaller pieces of drywall--heavy, the large sheets!

Tomorrow will go at the appointed hour to help the one who is providing excellent practice for this hermit to die to self and try to be the peacemaker by modulating its own irritating personality and expressiveness.  Am told the one person who has not wanted contact with the hermit for 19 months, says it is all right if the hermit comes, and then he will leave with the others, so will be a brief passing.  

Am supposing the one who cut off the relationship is curious, as has heard reports of the aging, the wrinkling, the weight-losing, the weariness in the old hermit's appearance.  But the ferris wheel descends yet rises again.  Rejoice and be glad, for this hermit considers the beauty of Mother Teresa of Calcutta in her later years!  Ah, what a psalm exudes in her face and eyes!

Nothing Catholic hermit is learning yet more detachment in a very good way, and is able to pray and love in a very universal way.  This morning, over and over, came the word-reminder of Jesus:  Blessed are the peacemakers.  Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me, so goes the song.

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