I'm sitting here this morning, trying to put some thoughts together of what to write about and I glance down at the bottom of my laptop where it shows something I haven't noticed before. I guess because it is still before 5AM it is showing a moon. Next to it is the temperature. 90 degrees. At actually 4:44AM. It is too early to be that warm! and then those words.... Warning. Yes, we are in a heat wave it seems. I don't notice it too much because I am indoors all day as a rule and all evening too. In fact, yesterday I was beginning to feel a bit enclosed, to the point I let hubby take me to lunch yesterday just to get out of here. And then I feel the heat. Well, I feel it when I have taken Sheeba out, but that is just out in back in once she does her business. It is hot out here.
I saw something yesterday - and I know I won't remember it all correctly - but someone said that they were going to get their life straightened out.... if it was this hot in Arizona, then they didn't want to think about how hot hell was going to be! I agree. You definitely do not want to spend eternity in hell. I'd much rather go where it is beautiful than where people are burning all the time. What about you?
I had a surprise last night; one of the grandsons who lives up north sent me a text. "Hi Grandma, I want your salsa recipe. I got a new phone and I lost your text with the recipe." So we chatted for a few minutes and I screen print the recipe and send up to him. It warms my heart to know my grandchildren love the salsa recipe. There are lots of good recipes out there, no doubt. I often laugh when people taste mine for the first time- that first taste of sweetness and many will go eeeewwww that's terrible! But they don't try it again and get the hotness that goes with it. I love my salsa. But there are other salsas that I like too. In fact, I think I have stewed tomatoes on hand and a green pepper - I think I just might back some today. Hubby loves it and we go through it quickly. It doesn't matter that we don't have any tortilla chips. We have used crackers and pretzels even just to get to the taste of the salsa. Yeah, it's that good. For some people. Others, not so much. And that's ok.
I just checked my messages and my little brother had been trying to get ahold of me. Finally got in touch with the boys. There was a shooting nearby yesterday - not that far from us - I was thinking about 5 miles, but it may have been less than that. Interestingly enough, when we went out for lunch yesterday and was just about two miles further south of where it was. I heard about the shooting when my company HR sent out an email about there was a shooting on the west side of town and they had put the hospitals on lockdown. They did catch the shooter, linked them to another random drive-by shooting, but I haven't heard the why of it happening. Maybe I'll hear today. Just grateful that it wasn't any closer to us.
But something to think about. The innocent people who were injured; I heard there was one killed. Were they ready to die? Did they get up yesterday morning and say, "well, today I'm going to get shot so I need to make sure I take a shower, fix my hair, and put on clean underwear."? Probably not. They probably just did what they normally do and began to live life as the do, day by day. But what about their souls? In the power of another, their life was taken away from them; were they ready to die? Will those who were injured think about their lives and what - if anything - they need to take care of and change? It should give them thought. And it should give you and I thought.
My little sister and I often comment that we hope that when God calls us home that it is a time we aren't angry and frustrated at our hubbies! We want to go to heaven, not hell, so we are trying harder to get along with them. And them along with us. We aren't to hold anger against each other. We are to forgive, even the unforgiveable. Sometimes that is really hard to do. And hardness and indifference sets in and it makes it even harder to let go of some offenses. Do you find that in your own life? I pray a lot that any hurt, any bitterness, any anger, be removed from my heart, that I will feel the joy and peace of forgiveness and love. It isn't easy at times; it's an effort for sure. But that is what we are called to do. I often tell hubby that I will not let XXX keep me out of heaven. I may not care for them, I may not approve of the things they do. But it isn't my call. My responsibility is that I am to love them regardless. Sometimes loving them is the hardest thing I have to do .... but I try. And I trust God to help me through those tough times when I need to be around them.
Yesterday morning was sorta tough. I was busy with work and all of a sudden I felt completely enclosed, claustrophopic in fact. It lasted just a couple minutes, but the quick realization that I needed to get out of the house and I really wanted to spend some time....a l o n e.... was so intense. It ws shortly after that hubby asked me to lunch and I accepted. I needed to get out of the house. I love people, especially my family, and I love being around them. It's been awhile since I've been around any of them, and perhaps it was feeling lonely for them. But yet, I do enjoy my times of solitude as well and it has been a long time since I have been able to get away by myself for any length of time. Not to go shopping or anything like that, but to get alone in solitude with God.
I remember with great fondness my times up at the hermitage. I need to check to see if they have changed their minds and we can still go up there. Once Sister Theresa died, the hermitages were sold to another denomination and 'Our Lady of Solitude, House of Prayer' was only for those people and not for 'outsiders' of that denomination. How I loved going up there and staying and being alone with God. No talking. No phones. No TV or radio. Silence. And being in the presence of God. I remember sitting with Sister Therese in the chapel one time and I watched her as she meditated and worshipped the Lord. Staring out the huge windows that overlooked the valley we could see for miles. And I knew that God was in that room, because we both were in tune with Him. It's a treasured memory and one I hope that I never forget the importance of taking the time of being alone with God.
Do you ever have a longing within you to be alone? Perhaps it is God letting you know that He wants to be alone with you. I am thinking that is what I was 'hearing' yesterday. Think I will talk with hubby and perhaps we can find some time to get away to where we can 'be alone' with God for a couple days. I think we both could use a refreshment of His Presence. Can you?
Blessings!
