Oh Those Bells
Most everyone knows the horror of realizing that there home has termites. For we know what great damage they can do if left unchecked. There are over 3000 species—but thank God only 183 of these can cause the damage that they do. Termites do over 1.6 billion dollars each year in the United States alone to our buildings or homes. 1.6 BILLION dollars worth of damage from little insects that are hidden and even blind. If you see their telltale signs at the bases of your foundation---then you would be very foolish to ignore their presence.
Recently though, termites took on a whole new direction in my spiritual life. I had been going through changes in my life, an unexpected job change and the aging process left me wondering about what was to come in my future. For over a month, symptoms of anxiety, sadness, irritable, itching from nerves, restlessness, and poor sleep patterns--all had been invading my spirit. Prayer, Mass, seeking God in His Word, singing, serving others ----all helped for a while, but the nagging uneasiness still hung around. I started to wonder if this was the ‘dark night of the soul’ that the saints spoke of in their spiritual life. It is a time of dullness and a time of apathy seeping in like quicksand, pulling you down.
It was after praying the prayer of “I give You permission Lord to bring to the surface what is hidden and forgotten, buried and blocked off” events triggered memories of the past and realization of just how badly a human can be affected all of their life if they are molested as a child. A child is left with anger, bitterness, confusion, hate, guilt even, and deep sense of unworthiness ---all because of a ‘sin of Adam’ passed down generation after generation. Tears flowed for a good 20 minutes that night as God worked within, a much needed release. Music speaking of God’s love brought me back to His healing peace---and the next morning I awakened to a dream of finding termite burrows and holes in the corners of my house. I knew within seconds, what God was speaking to my soul in that dream message.
Just like the tiny hidden termites can cause massive destruction in our homes, left unchecked in our spirit, hidden hurts from the past can evade and destroy our soul even. Just think about all the people everywhere who are dealing with addictions, depression, inability to function and work and worse yet—they do not believe in a loving God because of the traumas of their youth. This is emotional termite damage, hidden in the foundation of our spirits.
What is the treatment needed to rid one of this infestation? God reminded me to “Remember the things I have taught you.” 1. Speak the truth within. Write it out, talk to a trusted confidant, or join a recommended support group and bring what deeply hidden to the Light.
2. Forgive. Forgive the person, yourself and God for allowing what happened to happen. Forgiveness is much easier when you see the ‘bad’ person as a person who first was possibly hurt as a child too. It helps too, if you look with eyes of understanding why we have ‘crosses’ in our lives. A cross is there to be a part of our ability to reach out to help save another from their despair. Pain and sorrow are a part of the gift you are!! You are the gift which will be given to the world, when you agree to share another’s pain. We are blessed, we are broken, and we are given. “Your heart too shall be pierced, so that the thoughts of many will be revealed to you.” Pain and struggle is the only way we gain the needed wisdom and insight to see another’s hidden secrets.
3. Let go, by the release of tears, venting to the empty sky, beating on your pillow or some other object that you can’t hurt or it hurt you as you hit on it. But get those feelings to the surface and let go of them—praying God ‘don’t ever let me take them back!’
4. Go and be the gift—with understanding and compassion—go and help someone, whoever needs help in whatever way, go and be the gift. “Love as I have loved you.”
These are the steps to total healing of all that is hidden within eating away at our heart; if you want to be healed of the past.
This same termite infestation is exactly why our whole world is being destroyed as we speak—but let us call it what it is SIN INFESTATION!!! What makes it really destructive----is the denial of the majority that their lifestyles being chosen is denying and rejecting God’s love, mercy and help. God, Himself said that would happen when He called Isaiah. He told Isaiah —and it is this people who will face their end---angry and declaring there is NO God.
Truthfully though, seeing our own inner anger from events that has happened to us---we should understand why there is evil and angry people---and pray all the harder for them each day—“for they truly do not know what they are doing.” This is the best way to use that gift of understanding from our past hurts---is to pray for those who do not know—“why I do what I do!” They are so angry and frustrated ---that they too will hurt others.
Give everyone who is ‘hurting/angry’ that silent “Mother’s Blessing” that Our Lady told us to share. “Pray my Children, pray” she is always telling us and for good reason---wounded spirits are everywhere---and everywhere the ‘termites are at work’ and the damage begins again and again in another child every second of every day. “Pray my Children, pray.”