I wondered how many orders a person would need to receive wrong to have an ounce of humility. The Holy Spirit and I came up with that prayer together the time I just couldn’t stand it happening again when there was plenty room behind me no one would feel cut off. I know I don’t like the feeling, and the prayer made me laugh. It just depends on the person's attitude, but a wrong order is still a blessing. They had money in their pocket to get food and drink and food and drink they received.
Prayer is one of my random acts of kindness.
Someone wanted $8 from me Matt agreed there was no reason to give. One reason, we needed the $8 we had to give ourselves to give our own emergency. Second reason, the person asking us didn’t have "$8" to give his “emergency”. I hinted at the first reason, but I gave the person the full third reason he would not be receiving $8 from me because his favorite number is 3; I gave it in gratitude, too, because reason three happened because of him. For good measure I gave him reason 4- I had good reason to trust he did not need the $8.
When I realized that person had expectations of me I did not meet, I prayed with God the fragile package of glass would be delivered intact anyway. I felt that was the protective thought to make a prayer. The other thought you can probably imagine would have been selfish, not in character of prayer.
Besides, I cannot be the only one who understands what controls the care a package receives that itself even NOTIFIES be handled with care? People’s integrity.
I felt it was high time for this person, so I took it upon myself with The Holy Spirit’s help to practice integrity strong enough for the both of us in that moment. And then, I prayed a humble prayer for him with God.
Technically, the integrity of robots would need to be considered, too. Matt brought that into my awareness with the job he took.
Someone told me I had a robot vacuum and a robot mop so I could sit and write letters. Half-truth. I have help because I need it. My right arm is debilitated; I refuse sometimes, and it is always quick to remind me. I was nauseated by its pain yesterday. The nausea is in part remembering why it is what it is when it reminds me just how. I sat yesterday completely out, and it is feeling thankful today. Respecting my right arm did not happen overnight; it took years of practice, and it began with getting the help I needed - surgical repair.
My right arm is kind, it gives me choices when it is sick. One of the choices is always delay. For example, practice piano (delay) or write (rest). I chose to write yesterday.
I like Father Michael O'Connor. I don't know why it always surprises me when I read priests are a sibling. It does not surprise me about pastors, though. I have this notion in my head priests are only children. He is also a veteran military officer which makes sense; he has a discipline with his words. His messages are brutally honest. You can tell he prays his words are pleasing to God. I had to look up what Google says about brutal honesty: expressing something in an ACCURATE way without attempting to disguise its unpleasantness. I thought so. He speaks his words with certainty they are pleasing to God, not to people. He says what his parishioners need to hear. When I hear words I need to hear, they do not offend me. I feel settled because I am in agreement.
One of the memories my mom gave to my godmother about my godfather when we were asked to remember Uncle Ron on the first anniversary of his death was: He was very honest.
There are degrees to honesty. I feel it is most right for people who have been given a platform, especially one's that help people understand God, to be brutal.
I found Father Michael O'Connor from Many Hail Mary's at a Time. He was a good priest for me to find. He is a good priest for adults of all ages, especially a 38 year old. I am 38. I am older than when I first remembered my mom being an age. Mind-blowing. Father Joe was a great childhood priest. You just did not want to disappoint him, and it was not out of fear because he was intimidating. He was reverent. One of the best things about the end of church was your turn to hug Father Joe. He would just cloak you in his vestment. I remember when Father Joe was promoted out of Victoria; he was irreplaceable.
I still like Father Rob Galea, but he is my pick for a priest on The Rosary. His meditations on The Mysteries are in a league of their own.
I tuned in to a portion of a Homily given by Father Michael O'Connor entitled, "Imitate Me". I had to click on that because imitation can go two ways: good or bad.
I thought of grocery shopping. Jesus is like the brand. I am not thinking of the name brand just by name, I am thinking of the homeade name brand that stands alone because of its taste. That brand is expensive, so to save on cost, you look for the "imitation" brand.
I am thinking of this one kind of cottage cheese. Protein is the hardest food group for me to appetize myself with. And of the proteins, cottage cheese is the hardest. I read it has more protein than two eggs, why I consider it protein than dairy. But there is a brand even when I am not in the mood for cottage cheese, that will make me question myself every single time, "Why not cottage cheese?" It makes me ask even when it is in my refrigerator, it's that well-made in my opinion. The brand is Good Culture.
Matt tells me stuff that chaps his ass. One thing that always chaps my ass is when people catch on to something I put myself on long before. Good Culture cottage cheese is one of those things. Where I am it has become low stock or no stock, so you have to be ready when it is there to banish the thought. Good Culture cottage cheese is like a Jesus-brand. Other brands cannot compare, but they can imitate it.
Father O'Connor references The Apostle Paul. In my opinion, Jesus is incomparable for He is God Himself. The Saints were given to us for us to imitate. Saint Paul challenges us to imitate Christ with the encouragement to join with others in being imitators of him, not capital H-i-m. I thought to myself is that why people use the thoughtless argument worshipping Saints is idolatry? In my opinion, it is not a bad idea considering Jesus is the God of Creation. Who in their right mind can follow the act of God? I am putting it for myself this way, Jesus is meant to be received. And in simpler terms for myself, The Truth is meant to be received and The Way is meant to be taken; the Saints do a job worth imitating Christ, in my opinion. The Saints receive The Truth and the Saints take The Way. Have you read The Life of Saints? The Words are full.
How I find the Saints helpful is this: Matt will tell me, "Your mom and I can tell you the same thing, but if anyone besides us tells you the same exact thing, you'll listen." Eek, the truth is embarrassing to recount sometimes. The Saints are kind of like that for me. The Holy Spirit can tell me something, and I will agree, but if I hear it echoed by a Saint, my confidence in hearing what I heard from The Holy Spirit is reinforced while I am already heading that direction.
Father O'Connor references St Charles Borromeo who says so we have the spark of the divine life in us, protect it from the wind, ie places/people/situations we should know are not leading us in the right direction.
I was thinking about how Father O'Connor went back and inserted the "should" in there. I think the "should" spoke to the struggle in knowing - discernment. The advice I gave my baby sister when she was in discernment came back to mind: Acknowledging your intuition and then choosing to ignore your intuition is the worst you can do for yourself. The why was always just a feeling, and today I feel confident in the words I could give the importance: Don't let the light of Christ be blown out in you.
May we all remain protected.
Now to think dog beds.
Comments
Post a Comment