Had a funny old day yesterday - due to the storm the electric went off in the early evening but we were unprepared and eventually my phone died as battery drained - went to bed in the dark with many thoughts going through my head. Found it hard to sleep and kept thinking of the coming times when we might be living in a real dark age with none of the modern comforts. And God, in his wisdom, decided to disappear so I was plunged into a mini dark night of the soul. Not easy but I prayed the rosary in the periods I was awake and this gave me a real sense of what is to come when we lose communications and all of the modern comforts. In many ways I am not prepared physchologically for what is to come. I think the Lord wants us to practice the art of detachment - even detachment from family members for we may lose touch with those living far away but we have to learn to entrust them to God even in the direst of situations. I am sorry to report that very, very diffcult days lie ahead for us all - but take one day at a time as if it is your last day for we do not know the day or hour. The electric has just come back on so I am able to post. I opened my Bible randomly during morning prayer - amazing how it speaks so directly to us: Ecclesiasticus 40:1-7 Much hardship has been made for every man, a heavy yoke lies on the sons of Adam from the day they come out of their mother’s womb, till the day they return to the mother of them all. What fills them with brooding and their hearts with fear is dread of the day of death. From the man who sits on a glorious throne to the wretch on dust and ashes, from the man who wears purple and a crown to the man clothed in sacking, all is fury and jealousy, turmoil and unrest, fear of death, rivalry, strife. And even at night while he rests on his bed his sleep only gives a new twist to his worries: scarcely has he lain down to rest, than in his sleep, as if in broad daylight, he is shaken by terrible sights like a man running away from a battle. At the moment of rescue he awakens, astonished that his fear was imaginary.
God allowed a great gift for you! To see that your ultimate reliance is on God before the days that are coming is a grace. Thanks for sharing as its a good warning for all of us. Peace
I prayed for all on the forum so much last night. The thought that one day this forum might not be accessible pains my heart and was uppermost in mind as was my son who lives so far away in Cape Town.
Thanks for your account of the dark night. I am heeding it. Understood that things could change in an instant. May God always bless those bonds we have with our families. Thank you for your prayers.
I read an account of life in the village of Medugorje back in 1981 when she started to appear to the children. It was by our standards very, very basic and hard indeed. Plus they lived under a Communist hard line government. But their Faith was exemplary. In this although they had nothing materially ,spiritually they had everything. We are the reverse as a society . Materially we have everything, spiritually we have nothing. This village is the middle of nowhere is such a education to me. They are so hard working and self sufficient. Just watching them how they live is an education. Perhaps their biggest lesson to me as city boy is how they all ehlp each other and care for each other. But really they have too to survive. We will relearn there lessons. Our great grand parents and maybe our grandparents too knew all this. e wil have to relearn them. It reminds me of a TV comedy series of years back called, 'Green Acres'.
