Amazing Love

Tonight I was home by myself and I watched a movie entitled, "Amazing Love, The Story of Hosea." I saw it at the store in the cheap movie bin the other day and picked it up because the description on the back of the movie caught my attention. Sometimes that's the best time to pick up a film, just because it's cheap and it looks like it teaches a lesson.

This movie was actually a story within a story. A youth group went on a camping trip and the youth minister ended up telling the teens the Old Testament story of Hosea. This story parallelled a situation happening within the teen group, so by his expanding on the biblical story, the teens learned a valuable lesson that could be applied to today. It taught them a valuable lesson.

In a nutshell, God told Hosea to marry Gomer, who was known to be a harlot. In spite of his reluctance to trust a woman of this nature, Hosea married her out of obedience and trust in God's instructions to him. Everyone in the area knew of her reputation. At the same time, God was instructing Hosea to be his prophet (messenger) to warn the people that they must turn back to Him and turn their back on their sinful ways or they would be punished severely. They were a rich and haughty people, worshiping false gods and engaging in sinful lifestyles.

They laughed at Hosea's prophesies because they didn't believe him. They were prospering and did not believe his God was "the God" or that He would punish them since they were so rich and well off. In fact, it was the prophet himself, Hosea, who was poor, and whose own wife was the harlot, the sinful one, hurting him. They questioned why he didn't throw his own wife out and leave her. He answered them that he loved her.

He stuck with her, through her lies and deception, her cheating and falsehoods, until she was thrown out by one who was paying for her services and put in the market to be sold. Hosea himself claimed her and took her home with him to love, for he told her she was his alone to love. This was truly a lesson in unconditional love, imaging the love God had for His people who kept turning from Him. Yet, He came through with His warning and did punish the people for their sinfulness. Only Hosea had remained faithful to God.

The youth group was able to use this story as a valuable lesson in their situation, just as we all can apply it to our daily lives. The Word of God rings true for all ages. The Scriptures have all the lessons we need in order to live good and holy lives. If we focus on the Word, we are headed in the right direction. The Word feeds our mind, while the Flesh feeds our body with all we need to sustain our spiritual selves in this world of sin. God's graces flow from this. Would we have chosen to turn our backs on God, or to remain steadfast in spite of how bad everything appeared like Hosea? How much do we trust God?

Another Passes On

Today when I visited the nursing home to bring the gospel and the Eucharist, I was told that my closest friend there, Elizabeth, age 90, passed away yesterday morning. I dreaded the day when I would hear this news. She was so special to me. I loved her very much. As long as I have been coming to minister at the nursing home (8 1/2 years now) Elizabeth has been one of my people I visited. She always had a smile and wanted a kiss when I came in and another when I left. She loved to hear the gospel and remarked how beautiful the Word of God was. She loved receiving holy communion. She was often praying her rosary when I came in. If I asked her to pray for a certain intention of mine, she would. I kept her in my prayers, too.

One time I remarked to her that she should move to the other side of the nursing home where the more coherent patients were. Where she was, was with those whose minds were pretty much gone, or pretty dimented. She right away said, "Oh no. They need me too much right here. I couldn't leave them." I think she thought of herself as the mother to all of the patients on this end. She watched out for them. Her love for them was very strong.

A couple of months before she died, she started to show signs as if she had had a stroke. She was forgetful and acted strangely, asking me to help her over and over again. She would go in and out of these episodes. I knew her time on earth was soon to be over. I made sure to spend a little more time reassuring her and loving her when I made my weekly visits.

God sends people like this into our lives to remind us of how short our life on earth is. He also sends them to us to give us opportunities to love. After all, without love, we have nothing. But, with love, we have everything, for where there is love, there is Jesus. And I found Jesus in Elizabeth. God rest her soul.

Who Am I?

Someone asked me in anger today, "Who are you?" This person tries to control me. He wants to control what I say, what I do, where I sit, everything about me. I keep this all inside. It is very hurtful. It is definitely the cross I bear. I made a promise to God to bear this for Him. I will do it out of love for God because I know God loves this person so much. I will try to love this person as God loves him. I will try to see him with God's eyes.

We must do this with the people we struggle with the most. Sometimes these are our enemies, and Jesus told us to love our enemies. Being a Christian, imitating Christ, is very difficult. He never told us this would be easy. If we could escape to a lonely island somewhere, it would be easy. But, we have to live among people. Jesus told us to love one another as He loves us. It is a struggle. It is living a counter-cultural life sometimes. I need His grace and His strength to get through this each day. If I remain focussed on the Lord Jesus Christ at all times, He will help me bear my burden and make it lighter for me. This is where I will remain; with my Lord.