[Pain from lumbar and ripping down the nerve pathways of hips, legs, feet; pain is beautifully blue-sky-high today. So yes, the following might be a bit long comment and even on the deep side, but I'm readying to get up at 2:28 p.m. to attempt some minor planting. Pups a'nap in their crates; I have spent the morning hours in bed, cleaning some chickens off the street of my cluttered temporal world's mind and emotions.]
Truly marvelous to ponder and consider the truths of our soul lives--and then contrast to the "world." Soon we realize the great challenge and thrill that is being a follower of Christ, to actually have His Real Presence, the Trinity, within us, and us within God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Then we are astounded by the truth that the pettiness, insecurity, rudeness, immaturity of those in the world (and when we ourselves join in the futility and silliness of nit-picking, being angry, unforgiving, lacking empathy and misunderstanding of others) is not a path, nor are of those persons we really want to engage in nor with.
All that "other" leads to more world, when the great challenge and thrill of existence is to love--to love to learn to love--and to follow Christ: His Path, His Word, His Teachings, His Life, His Love.
Today I am "cleaning the chickens off the street" of my temporal existence. My dad used to delight his daughters by playing Gin Rummy with us at the lake house in the summertime--on the nights he'd not be out on the road, per his career as a district sales manager for Majestic Company. When he had a good hand, he'd wryly state, "Let's clean the chickens off the street!" Dad would then start leading with cards that would force us to put out our best cards or of a certain suit.
Before long, before our astonished eyes, he'd lay out his suits or runs, and say, "Gin Rummy!" I'm not sure where he got the phrase: Clean the chickens off the street. Must have been from a time when chickens were in backyard or farmyard coops, and would escape, go out in the street, create havoc.
Today I'm cleaning the "chickens" from my temporal world "street." Clear the chickens from the street of my temporal existence: mind, thoughts, ego, emotions, feelings, temptations, encounters, and relationships--flawed or destructive, pathetic or pernicious.
Embrace a hand of "aces," a "full house" of virtues, a same suit run of Christ's teachings with attempt to live them in daily life. Today I clean the chickens of negativity and disrespect, of pettiness and nit-picking, of non-forgiveness and angry resentment--clean them off the street of my mind, heart, soul, and spirit.
Surround and enjoin with those who desire to live and love in Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. Learn to love, and love to learn to love.
Ponder John 14:23-26:
"Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.
"Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
"I have told you this while I am with you.
The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name--he will teach you everything and remind you of all that (I) told you."
Nudum Christi, nudum sequere! Follow naked, the naked Christ!
God Bless His Real Presence in Us! Love in Christ's Love!
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