Catholic Hermit on God's Omnipotent Providence and Present Moment Reality

From James 4:13-16 comes the truth of God's living word of God's complete omnipotent providence and our present moment reality.

"Beloved:
 Come now, you who say,
 'Today or tomorrow we shall go into such and such a town,
 spend a year there doing business and make a profit'--
 you have no idea what your life will be like tomorrow.
 You are a puff of smoke that appears briefly and then disappears.
 Instead you should say,
 'If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that.'"

It is so true that while we make mental plans, have dreams of goals of what we think and plan for the future, we really do not know, nor can we ultimately count on any temporal aspects of life.  

Of course, we humans do tend to function in forward-thinking, future-goal mode.  Is it arrogance, pride, that causes us to place ourselves in position of "calling the shots"?  

I suppose pride is the root cause behind the effort.

Last night, late in his time zone, my son called.  He had been celebrating with colleagues the end of a television season as well as a new position that astoundingly seemed to come "out of the blue."  As we were discussing the good fortune and turn of events, we also discussed what he'd be doing in his job, when he would begin, and the major upgrade it is from what in a few days will be his former place of employment.

At one point, the call dropped as he excitedly spoke of the details.  I'd been pondering the truth of the above Scripture for a couple days, relating it to my own existence in the unknowns of bodily pain sieges and also knowing full-well, that any mishap could totally alter the momentum of what is, for me, and of what is next.  

When I called back after the sudden call failure, the thought struck that my son could be mugged, walking late at night in the city.  I did not think that had occurred--but the thought came all the same as a reminder of how we don't know from moment to moment, really.  Maybe he will begin the new position, or not.  Maybe in the two weeks or so of time off between jobs he will find his planned, solo cycling venture come to reality, or not.  

Truly, we are a puff of smoke.  In the fullness of the ages of human existence, we appear briefly on earth, some for a split-second and some for several seconds if a long life.  Then we are off the face of this earth, like a failed cell phone call spontaneously, unexpectedly dropped.  We just never know.  That is the point.  We do not know; God knows.

For years (and perhaps the reminders and process is easier if one has a bodily limitation that is unpredictable), I have taken on the statement when there is something I'd like to do or others would like of me.  I add on this reminder:  God willing, and body able.  

Yet I continue to challenge the Order of the Present Moment, obviously, or I would not be frustrated or disappointed such as the past week when another and particularly grueling, pain siege set in.  For one thing, this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit's eldest sister and husband were going to be in the area for a day and had made arrangements to stay in a hotel, just for the purpose of seeing me.  I'd not seen this sister for 14 years.  I was unable to manage to make the day's reunion.

The reality of God's omnipotent providence and the truth that all we do "know" is our present moment, is also the reality of our spiritual existences.  However, in the spiritual, we are even less aware of what is and what is next.

For this aspect, I find that what Jesus told Catherine of Siena to be quite worthy of imbedding within my core essence.  Jesus told her, "You are nothing; I am ALL."

Nothing is less than a puff of smoke.

Yesterday is what we can view; but in yesterday we also have no power in its providence, and the present moments are past.  Yet we can learn from yesterday if there is some lesson to be gleaned, positive or negative in import.  

Perhaps the best lesson gleaned is that we are nothing and God is ALL, and that God's omnipotence will determines our lives.

A daughter just called.  Her husband is having an "out of the blue" interview in an hour.  It is another bizarre happening of which there was no forewarning and of which the outcome is naturally unknown to any of us, including that of the interviewer.  

I am going to try to rise (God willing and body able) and head up the stairs to get the tile mortar blade I was using yesterday (into the evening), and of which I totally forgot.  It will take extra effort to clean it, and I have no idea of the condition of the mortar in the unclosed container.  I was multi-tasking yesterday:  switching off and on with hooking up water hose to soaker hoses, emptying water buckets that catch the hose-drips from faulty spigots, harvesting-simmering-freezing batches of fresh rhubarb, tiling bathroom vanity backsplash full up the wall, and gathering piles of weeds for the burn pile.

And all the while, whether or not body able (but God surely wills it--Deus vult!) this nothing-puff-of-smoke-human-consecrated-Catholic-hermit prays and praises, trusts, adores, serves, and loves God-Who-Is-All.