God Surprises Catholic Hermit

Yes, indeed.  This morning I shoveled and spread part of a load of black bark mulch that my neighbor lad had helped me offload into piles, nearly two weeks ago.  I was just ready to rise from the mattress again, having taken a couple hours to rest the very painful back, legs, and feet (lots of nerve pain today, plus headache, and liver area pain dicey!), when I heard a knock at the door.

It was the neighbor lad and his younger sister.  They'd brought a bag of Transparent Apples, and the boy quickly added before leaving, that he would be able to work toward the end of the week and listed the days.  Then he began telling his future schedule of when he had camps or other events, such as morning summer practices for athletics.

As I loaded his and his sister's arms with produce that no one had taken from the roadside table, I mused within about the turn around in this work-prospect.  Not a half hour ago a friend from afar had emailed that she was convinced that I was to leave here and that I simply had to keep at it, bit by bit.  I had returned a message reminding that without help, it is unlikely, even with a family member coming to visit next month for three or four days to help with the tasks I cannot do with God alone.

So God surprises.  I suppose the sting of the boy turning and seeing me mulching in front that day he was riding off with a friend, maybe somehow got him to thinking.  (Today he also mentioned his grandparents and what they had been doing or such. My mind was more dealing with physical pain and also the surprise God had provided with the visitors at the hermitage door, so I did not catch the details other than to muse that he wanted to express that his grandparents were indeed visiting, even if not 24/7.)

Regardless, I am praising God for the prospects are looking positive of another set of hands and a far better back than mine.  I do need help with tasks that--unless my angel were to materialize as a human and lend me an extra set of physical hands, or provide a miracle of work completed as I rest or sleep--will not be accomplished.

Wonders never cease.  I am guardedly encouraged, not that I do not have full faith in the Lord's surprise this afternoon.  It is just that I think He wants me to remain very much in the Order of the Present Moment, even to the detail of a lad being more available to work now, seeming to want to work, and presenting a positive, organized, thoughtful plan of when he can help out the old hermit.

Maybe it is when I have totally accepted that I will be content existing in a rather unlivable dwelling, that the Lord decided to land a surprise.  The Transparent Apples will be well-utilized, for sure.  Whatever greens, beets, Snow Peas and strawberries that remained at the roadside table will be utilized by the neighbors.  They declined the kale...to be expected.  I blend it as part of my Green Glory breakfast drink.

So, back out to Precious Blood (name of my used pick-up) and to start off-loading the black bark mulch that has been there for ten days now.  The body can only do so much with the higher level of pain, and the needs of the gardens took time and effort.  Whenever, which is rare, that I make the long journey to civilization, I try to be efficient, and a load of mulch is part of the errand list.

Well, praise be to God for the Fourth of July surprise!  Must have been my own thoughts, not God's Mind, that the neighbors wanted no involvement and the lad did not want to work; or else he had a change of mind or circumstance, or both, for the hourly wage is a dream come true for most laborers.  This hermit is not stingy; but there must be justice in the work that is accomplished.  We must not let others take advantage for that is allowing them to damage their souls.  No, we must not let others do that to themselves.

God bless His Real Presence in us, little children.  Let us love God above all things and love His surprises, too.  Let us love one another as Jesus loves us.

Catholic Hermit's Plan for Lent

On the eve of Ash Wednesday ("Shrove Tuesday") a spiritual friend from the past called.  The phone calls are rare here at Te Deum Hermitage, but this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit is close in touch within His Real Presence, as are the various spiritual friends dotted around this country and abroad.

The friend who happens to be wintering in warm climate mentioned finding a marvelous priest who said to write down a plan for Lent.  Write out what are to be the penances, the spiritual goals, the aspects of dying to self daily, during Lent.  She thought this would be something the hermit might do, as well.

Oh.

While an idea, yes it is, unfortunately (or fortunately) St. Hildegard of Bingen has already befriended me in a soul-filled way and is giving marvelous thoughts and ideas during Lent.  So no, I will not be writing out a plan of any sort other than, I suppose (as I mentioned to my earthly spiritual friend), mentally thinking the plan is whatever His Real Presence desires moment by moment.

So Ash Wednesday brought reflections on the Gospel reading of Mass the day before, and I wrote those reflections.  The evening brought a phone conversation with the spiritual father, so many miles away.  Did he think out or write out a plan for Lent?  

No.  But he was, in that present moment before we spoke, perusing flower bulb catalogs and making plans for what dahlias might grace the monastery gardens in a few short months. He said Lent will bring what the Lord wills, and then Easter will come, and in between now and then will be many surprises.  God provides!

I mentioned to my spiritual father that the days come and go in much silence and solitude, prayerfully and peacefully (even though I had to persevere with the cabinet conundrum), and that last week I realized I had not actually used my voice for three or four days!  And it was all right! It was even good!  He laughed and said, "Well, you're a hermit--that is why! The Lord is making you into a real and very good hermit now!"

Of course, there is more to it than that, but he made his point.  There has been growth since coming to this desert, in exile, and in hardship and strife of many types, levels, layers, and dimensions--spiritually and temporally.

Today when at Lowe's, Ruthie in the electric department shared that she'd been very ill the past week.  She suffered edema and also sleep apnea, with her oxygen level so low her physician said she had some brain damage.  She struggled with some memory, and it took us a bit of effort for each of us to figure out the bathroom lighting issues--which fixture globes were of the thin variety and which had thicker glass that will not so easily break.

She confided she nearly lost her job when she was out ill, for she had missed those days of work as well as other days, called out to do civic duty in a jury.  I reminded her to think positively, and that we would pray that there is no lasting damage to her brain.  Help is on the way with better sleep apnea equipment, thankfully.

Ruthie agreed to the positive outlook, for she said it is like the powers of darkness to try to upset her all the more and work against her when she is not feeling well.  True, and I reminded her when I gave her a big hug near the cabinet department (my next stop), that it is Lent, after all!  The Lord gave her quite an unexpected health cross to bear on Ash Wednesday.  Thanks be to God, she is back at work!

So this nothing consecrated Catholic hermit's plan for Lent is to allow His Real Presence to present His personalized plan for me in every present moment.  Rather than gloom and heavy thinking about what to do for Lent, there is an aspect of eagerness and joyful expectation as to what the Lord will unfold each day and night, hourly, by the minute--however He desires!  

First thing this morning was a call from the young woman with whom I am reading about Hildegard of Bingen's visions (and life).  She has a domestic issue that is rather immense and important in the status of her husband's work and her desire to move.  She has tried to love where they have lived for 7 years now, and it is going to take courage and resolve to ask him to sacrifice for her now, and secure a job transfer.

So we talked it through, and we are praying, and this put-off for years decision is what the Lord has brought the couple for Lent.  Time to make a decision for the wife's well-being and the children's schooling and activities.

Each moment, really--each thought, each contact when on a couple errands today--is whatever present moment Lenten lesson with which the Lord surprises me.  There are the struggles, for sure--present moment ones.  

The bathroom caulk I put in the corners of the tiled shower (silicone "gives" so better for corners than grout) is extra gummy.  One of Rusty's parting pieces of advice was to use painter tape on either side of where I am caulking to create a clean line.  But I did not heed that advice--not realizing just how gummy is bathroom caulk compared to easily wiped off trim caulk.

Tomorrow's daylight Lenten task is going to be to tediously use a razor blade to clean off the caulk residue--even from the little edges of grout lines where it oozed over.  So humbling to have not heeded what advice I was given by a man who knew from experience.

Ah, Lent.  This momentary, personalized, Lenten unfolding by His Real Presence is far better than any conceived, considered, spoken, or written plan that this hermit could have ever devised.

Cheers to Lent--suffering included!