Wednesday, February 20, 2013

GRINCHIN (my other handle)


Lent is always an interesting and reflective time.

Some lenten seasons in the past would be what I would consider "very fruitful". 

Other lenten seasons, shamefully, the temptation and weakness of human nature seemed abundant.

Now my post is not to glean any sympathy or anything else but to share a meditation that Our dear Lord has provided for me to ponder upon.

THE HUMAN HEART

Many years ago . . . . . . . . .  Okay, MANY, MANY years ago when I lived out in Washington D.C.,
 personalized license plates where really new.  In a completely cold and impersonal part of the world, I did something silly to make me feel like I was not just another car on the beltway.

Yep.  I had a personalized plate.

That was long before I became Hootiecootie.

And my plate read

GRINCHIN     

I was in the hospital getting an ecocardiogram today.

As I entered the darkened room, I looked back at the technicians and said, "You can tell by my name that you will find that the only thing wrong with me is my heart is just several sizes too small.  I need a trip to Whoville."

One laughed and said, "Yes, I thought about that when I saw your name."

The procedure got underway and I crooned my head behind me to witness what a human heart, my human heart, looks like - ultrasound style.

As I watched the flaps of my heart beat, I remembered back to the ultrasounds of each of my children.
Watching the technician measuring everything and watching that very tiny human life inside of my body.
I knew them before I saw them and loved them but somehow when you see them on the screen, it adds a WHOLE new dimension and anticipation.

I pondered the irony of my own heart now being measured and monitored.
I knew it was there but somehow seeing it brought it to life.

I know that I am an emotional person but as many of us feel (especially with youth) that our bodies can handle EVERYTHING we throw at it.  I am sure that God is kindly correcting the sin of pride for me.

I had gone in for a check up in December after NEVER having to go to the doctor for ANYTHING. Almost every test they can think of came to follow.  EKGs, blood work, last week a biopsy and now this.  

As they measured and recorded every millimeter of my heart, I was amazed at how it looked and worked.

At one point it looked like a distorted person with a very loud mouth with a very large uvula.  The uvula part being one of my flapping heart valves.

I said, "Wow, that is what I must look like to my children when I am not happy."

I thought of Christ's own Sacred Heart.
His beating, undying love for us sinners.
The weight and strain on His Heart at our indifference.
The pain in the Blessed Mother's heart watching her Son being crucified.

The pain that their human hearts must have felt was excruciating and considering their purity would have compounded this crushing weight.

My current condition is most likely brought on by my own choices:  stress, lack of sleep, not eating right . . .
I don't know.  I am sure it will be nothing and I will learn to run at half throttle at least part of the time.

But Our Dear Lord's Heart full of love and mercy is aching and waiting for us poor pathetic sinners.
Aching with compassion and grace, wanting to heal and sooth our own hearts and souls.

The irony of this procedure being done during lent.

The testing of the heart:  It's physical health.
The testing of the heart:  It's spiritual health.

Now is the time my dear fellows, to examine closely the inner workings of our hearts.

Lent is the time to perform your own personal ultrasound on your heart.

What is it that you are to let go of?  Fix?  Forgive?  Strengthen? 

Go to the Divine Physician and ask Him, "What do you wish of me dear Lord?  Do with me what you will.  I have only my heart and I give it totally and completely to you.  It is yours.  Do with it what you will.  Remove any malice and selfishness and cut out all iniquities.  Heal my broken heart for you alone know the cure.  In your love will I only find peace and health of heart."

After the procedure, I went down to another area of the hospital where I was given a heart monitor with several electrodes attached to me to monitor my heart for several days.

I was taking it all in stride until after I was hooked up the nurse said, "You may not shower until the test is over."

WHAT?!?!?!?!?  I love my shower.  It is my own personal sanctuary!

Breathing deeply, I said, "It is lent, I can take bird baths."

Yes, our Lord even loves and provides for the birds.

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is life not more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your lifespan? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which is grown today and thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, 'What are we to eat?' or 'What are we to drink?' or 'What are we to wear?' All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil."
- Matthew 6: 25-34

Yes, Lord.  I will take my bird bath and like it.


I leave you with the Christmas story of the Grinch.
Like it or not.


We all have our own Grinch-like qualities that we are to eradicate during lent.

Every Who Down In Who-Ville Like Christmas a lot... But The Grinch, Who lived just North of Who-ville, Did NOT! The Grinch hated Christmas! The whole Christmas season! Now, please don't ask why. No one quite knows the reason. It could be that his head wasn't screwed on quite right. It could be, perhaps, that his shoes were too tight. But I think that the most likely reason of all May have been that his heart was two sizes too small. But, Whatever the reason, His heart or his shoes, He stood there on Christmas Eve, hating the Whos, Staring down from his cave with a sour, Grinchy frown At the warm lighted windows below in their town. For he knew every Who down in Who-ville beneath Was busy now, hanging a mistleoe wreath. "And they're hanging their stockings!" he snarled with a sneer. "Tomorrow is Christmas! It's practically here!" Then he growled, with his grinch fingers nervously drumming, "I MUST find a way to keep Christmas from coming!" For, tomorrow, he knew... ...All the Who girls and boys Would wake up bright and early. They'd rush for their toys! And then! Oh, the noise! Oh, the noise! Noise! Noise! Noise! That's one thing he hated! The NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! NOISE! Then the Whos, young and old, would sit down to a feast. And they'd feast! And they'd feast! And they'd FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! FEAST! They would start on Who-pudding, and rare Who-roast-beast Which was something the Grinch couldn't stand in the least! And THEN They'd do something he liked least of all! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Would stand close together, with Christmas bells ringing. They'd stand hand-in-hand. And the Whos would start singing! They'd sing! And they'd sing! AND they'd SING! SING! SING! SING! And the more the Grinch thought of the Who-Christmas-Sing The more the Grinch thought, "I must stop this whole thing! "Why for fifty-three years I've put up with it now! I MUST stop Christmas from coming! ...But HOW?" Then he got an idea! An awful idea! THE GRINCH GOT A WONDERFUL, AWFUL IDEA! "I know just what to do!" The Grinch Laughed in his throat. And he made a quick Santy Claus hat and a coat. And he chuckled, and clucked, "What a great Grinchy trick! "With this coat and this hat, I'll look just like Saint Nick!" "All I need is a reindeer..." The Grinch looked around. But since reindeer are scarce, there was none to be found. Did that stop the old Grinch...? No! The Grinch simply said, "If I can't find a reindeer, I'll make one instead!" So he called his dog Max. Then he took some red thread And he tied a big horn on top of his head. THEN He loaded some bags And some old empty sacks On a ramshakle sleigh And he hitched up old Max. Then the Grinch said, "Giddyap!" And the sleigh started down Toward the homes where the Whos Lay a-snooze in their town. All their windows were dark. Quiet snow filled the air. All the Whos were all dreaming sweet dreams without care When he came to the first house in the square. "This is stop number one," The old Grinchy Claus hissed And he climbed to the roof, empty bags in his fist. Then he slid down the chimney. A rather tight pinch. But if Santa could do it, then so could the Grinch. He got stuck only once, for a moment or two. Then he stuck his head out of the fireplace flue Where the little Who stockings all hung in a row. "These stockings," he grinned, "are the first things to go!" Then he slithered and slunk, with a smile most unpleasant, Around the whole room, and he took every present! Pop guns! And bicycles! Roller skates! Drums! Checkerboards! Tricycles! Popcorn! And plums! And he stuffed them in bags. Then the Grinch, very nimbly, Stuffed all the bags, one by one, up the chimney! Then he slunk to the icebox. He took the Whos' feast! He took the Who-pudding! He took the roast beast! He cleaned out that icebox as quick as a flash. Why, that Grinch even took their last can of Who-hash! Then he stuffed all the food up the chimney with glee. "And NOW!" grinned the Grinch, "I will stuff up the tree!" And the Grinch grabbed the tree, and he started to shove When he heard a small sound like the coo of a dove. He turned around fast, and he saw a small Who! Little Cindy-Lou Who, who was not more than two. The Grinch had been caught by this little Who daughter Who'd got out of bed for a cup of cold water. She stared at the Grinch and said, "Santy Claus, why, "Why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?" But, you know, that old Grinch was so smart and so slick He thought up a lie, and he thought it up quick! "Why, my sweet little tot," the fake Santy Claus lied, "There's a light on this tree that won't light on one side. "So I'm taking it home to my workshop, my dear. "I'll fix it up there. Then I'll bring it back here." And his fib fooled the child. Then he patted her head And he got her a drink and he sent he to bed. And when Cindy-Lou Who went to bed with her cup, HE went to the chimney and stuffed the tree up! Then the last thing he took Was the log for their fire. Then he went up the chimney himself, the old liar. On their walls he left nothing but hooks, and some wire. And the one speck of food The he left in the house Was a crumb that was even too small for a mouse. Then He did the same thing To the other Whos' houses Leaving crumbs Much too small For the other Whos' mouses! It was quarter past dawn... All the Whos, still a-bed All the Whos, still a-snooze When he packed up his sled, Packed it up with their presents! The ribbons! The wrappings! The tags! And the tinsel! The trimmings! The trappings! Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mount Crumpit, He rode to the tiptop to dump it! "Pooh-pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming! "They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do! "Their mouths will hang open a minute or two "The all the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry BOO-HOO!" "That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply must hear!" So he paused. And the Grinch put a hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow... But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY! He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise! Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all! He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same! And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so? It came without ribbons! It came without tags! "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, `till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!" And what happened then...? Well...in Who-ville they say That the Grinch's small heart Grew three sizes that day! And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight, He whizzed with his load through the bright morning light And he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he... ...HE HIMSELF...! The Grinch carved the roast beast!

So, I leave you to ponder for your the health own heart (both spiritual and physical), those around you and most of all Our Dear Lord's Sacred Heart, what reparation and spiritual growth do we have to make in our own Whovilles?
 
 
I pray your own heart grows three sizes or more this lenten season.
God willing!
 
May God bless and guide you this lenten season.  
 
Gratefully in the Sacred Heart,

Grinchin  (aka Hootiecootie)


Make our hearts like unto thine!!!

3 comments:

  1. We always look forward to your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am not sure why I continue to write but I do. :)

    I feel the same about your pictures. They are very poignant.

    ReplyDelete
  3. awwww, thats so sweet <3 you are doing a good job and I am proud of you mama! :)love clairedebear

    ReplyDelete