Been a rough week and especially another couple of days in the affliction aspect of temporal existence. Thus on this Sunday morning in ordinary time, the Living Word of God provides truth as well as encouragement--if I can but absorb and hold fast to faith in the unseen reality.
From 2 Corinthians 4 comes this excerpt that especially strengthens:
Therefore, we are not discouraged;
rather, although our outer self is wasting away,
our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this momentary light affliction
is producing for us an eternal weight of glory
beyond all comparison,
as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen;
for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal.
For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent,
should be destroyed,
we have a building from God,
a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven.
The one word that tripped my mind, first, is "light". Light affliction is rather an irony, as I tested putting weight on my left leg while up for a timed two minutes plus perhaps another 30 seconds enough to get too and from sleeping bag to kitchen and back, fill my St. Joseph mug with water, microwave green tea for 1 minute, 50 seconds, during which time I filled a water bottle. Pain still in left leg, particularly knee.
After being down since Friday late morning, and the pain yesterday at throbbing and piercing level in the knee, I'm wondering about the "momentary light affliction" that St. Paul considers for our temporal body existence that he also says will produce an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.
I suppose, truly, in the full spectrum of temporal bodies and the afflictions we are allowed and which occur in the natural progression of life circumstances and are mortal bodies which decline moment by moment, mostly imperceptibly over time, other than when we have an acute injury. Yet it is best to try to consider and absorb the reality of fullness of life both temporal and mystical--the eternal spiritual realm ongoing from alpha to omega, even now, in this present moment.
In that reality, anything we experience while in our temporal bodies is comparatively "momentary" and whatever affliction "light".
Our affliction, basically, is of our souls, spirits, minds, and emotions being tied to a physical body in this temporal life. The fact that this "affliction"--light or otherwise in our perceptions--is producing for us glory beyond all expectations...is what will keep us from discouragement if we can but hold onto this numinous reality while we suffer light or heavy affliction or any affliction of any type of any circumstance.
That we are not discouraged is a bold statement and bold step. I admit that my faith in the presence of additional physical pain is not strong enough. Yes, I do believe that I will rise with Christ as I believe in Christ and know there is a resurrection from the dead, and that He Who raised Christ will raise me to have a place with Him in eternity.
The problem I face especially now with not wanting to invite more pain for my already pain-loaded body, is that being laid up with the knee pain does complicate matters. There is no one here but the Lord and my angel and whatever ethereal holy ones are around me in this small room as I lay on the floor. My money has run lower than ever in my adult life, by far, and it is not even my own money but lent money. I am quite close to finishing this earthly dwelling with the hope of selling; but until my knee decides to heal or else not and my somehow getting to a knee orthopedic specialist, makes it more the challenge to not be discouraged.
We have the human dilemma of faith involved, and of knowing in the mind and heart and soul that Paul is so right--this is but temporary time in our bodies, and the affliction momentary and light in comparison to glory in eternity. Yet somehow the temporal aspect of pain can rivet the attention to the temporal seemingly quite easily and effectively.
The antidote to the dilemma is, of course, to look to the unseen, not the seen. To pray and communicate with the Lord even if it seems one-sided (such as I had to face the one-sided nature of a temporal friendship's comdmunication trends for a long while), is part of learning to see the unseen, to know with assurance without touching nor viewing nor hearing anything at all.
Faith, it is called. Sometimes "blind" is added to the word "faith." Blind addresses the unseen quality of faith in Christ. We do have His Living Words, and that is a major gift to us. And no matter our vocation in life, all that is written and preached through the Living Word of God applies to any and all souls.
The result is a lifting up and out of the temporal body in a partiality that is quite refreshing and necessary, as faith raises thoughts and emotions and spirit to a realistic hope that is known yet not achieved--not yet.
But I so appreciate this reminder of what is real and what can trip me, reduce me, stir fear with temporal stirring stick. In my case, it does not even have to be anything definitively conclusive, such as an aneurism or paralysis. Just a hard-smack impact on concrete is enough to afflict the body to a higher level of pain than the pain already taken to roost in this body for nearly 34 years. Doubling pain medication yesterday did not put a stop to the pulsating knee pain. It took hours of waiting which seemed not at all momentary. But here again, now when I consider it in respect to eternity--yes, it is momentary and light affliction.
More importantly, consider the weight of glory being produced eternally--beyond all comparison.
What is now, here, in this temporal--I can really do nothing to alter the current circumstance of the left knee. I must simply remain down other than brief trial experiments in getting something to drink or using the restroom. I've wondered if there are forces of darkness allowed to disrupt the flow of finishing this earthly dwelling place so that I can depart it? This is a serious consideration, for the first nearly four years here, there was much negative interference from dark side of spiritual realm.
Faith holds true and fast against the forces of darkness. So I will continue on in this present moment and ensuing moments, with not being discouraged. Practice focusing on what is unseen--which requires not mortal logic to achieve in reality. See with inner sight the unseen, which is seeable in the light of inner light of inner faith. Our inner selves are being renewed while our outer selves diminish. Fear not, have faith. Once again, dare enter into the mystical; don't cling to the temporal. Keep to and think on things above, as Jesus tells us in sundry ways.
God bless His Real Presence in us!
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