In Reply...

It's one of those days with a beautiful number 01.05.15 and I think my post today will be in reply to The Wells' Post about abundance... They closed with asking about our dreams of Heaven on earth... and I think of suffering, and solitude, and invisibility.

I think of all my friends who suffer alone, away from others unable to connect because they do not have the same resources that most people do, little things that people take for granted, and I think of how most people do not see that pain and day to day loneliness. Sure, they go to work every day, they have a roof over their head but a normal day is a fight for a meal, a fight for inner peace, a fight to remember they are loved, and a fight to remember that they are a gift, beautiful and needed. Oddly enough, when I think of heaven, since it is something so intelligible I think of what hell must be like, because sometimes in my deepest pain that seems more tangible, readily understood, and I know the sting of our suffering here is still dulled by God’s grace because we can live love, and beauty and everything that is praise worthy, even if it isn’t as complete and endless and whole as heaven might be, so I think of opposites.

I ask myself, what would end my friend’s silent daily soul death? I ask myself, what would make my friend know they are loved beyond a doubt, that they are wanted and needed, that they have a place to give and receive. Ben spoke of abundance, and how gold is only as valuable here on earth because it is rare, but sometimes I feel like genuine love and compassion are even rarer. What could move the heart of someone in abundance to share with someone without? What could also show that person who is without that they are a treasure beyond words’ capabilities despite their lack of monetary value, or lack of resources? When my friend cries himself/herself to sleep because what they have to offer cannot be given or is not wanted? I ask what if there was a way to be truly and endlessly connected to one another with or without a car or a bridge or the illusion of connection that social media and the internet offer? What if we all saw each other in humility, as who they are, a gift from God, endlessly precious no matter what we have or lack and then fought tooth and nail to reach every person we could possibly reach.

I know I fail at loving those around me, and I often feel forgotten overlooked or unwanted, though God wants us, does not forget me, and loves me I know we were made to also love one another. I personally want to love more than I am capable of loving and pray to have God fulfil that prayer, that wish because I don’t want to forget any of the precious and beautiful people He placed in my life. Even as it feels like I am holding sand that is slipping between my fingers I fight it to exhaustion, and try to catch each grain that slips away again, as soon as I can, as well as I can. My dream is that if we would all intertwine ourselves so tightly that not one grain of sand could slip through the cracks, and not one of the precious gifts God has given us could slip through. I think that being accountable to one another, in seeking out the wayward children, the lonely widows, the damaged ones who are hard to love, the hateful ones who refuse love, the scrooges, the ignorant, the bigots, the idealists, the humans around us, far from us, near us, and those we have yet to meet, and giving them our hearts even if it hurts like hell, and could virtually shatter us knowing God is more than capable to put us back together… I think that only then we could reach a little bit of heaven on earth. I know that the times I have been able to forgive a little, to love a little, to grace a little and have gotten love a little, forgiven a little, and given grace a little to my imperfect heart and soul and mind and body I have seen a glimpse of heaven, and felt like I was in the full presence of the creator of the universe, for He loved beyond His human body so that we could be with Him, unashamed, unafraid, un-condemned, forgiven and loved and receiving grace upon grace.

So I remember one of my favorite movies, which is also a book I intend to read soon, Les Miserable, where all I could see was the battle of law vs love, and remember Jesus came to fulfill the law, and I leave this post/reply with the last bit of the Epilogue…

And remember the truth that once was spoken To love another person is to see the face of God!

Chrous: Do you hear the people sing? Lost in the valley of the night It is the music of a people who are climbing to the light For the wretched of the earth there is a flame that never dies Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise. They will live again in freedom in the garden of the Lord They will walk behind the ploughshare, they will put away the sword. The chain will be broken and all men will have their reward! Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say do you hear the distant drums It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Somewhere beyond the barricade is there a world you long to see? Do you hear the people sing? Say do you hear the distant drums? It is the future that they bring when tomorrow comes! (Singing chords) Tomorrow comes!Read more: Les Miserables - Epilogue Lyrics | MetroLyrics

Later days!