The Resident

I AM pleased that you have

responded to My Invitation to enter 

into your life...there to Dwell in your

heart - the Core of who you are - to be 

your personal Lord and Savior...I Love 

you with an Infinite Love and I shall 

never leave nor forsake you... My 

Presence is meant to become your Refuge...

a Stronghold of Peace where you can Rest

when the storms of life - both from exterior 

circumstances buffeting your foundations or

interior forces raging within your walls...fears...

doubts...lies and accusations from the 

evil one - temptations of every kind meant 

to lead you away from My Temple within 

where our Hearts beat as One in an ever 

Deepening Communion - not by self-reliant

striving but by Graced Surrender -Trusting in 

My Love for you - I Love being with you but...

I need to ask you why you so rarely linger
when you deign to visit with Me? My Heart 

longs for you - not merely for momentary 

glances- but for you to Abide with Me -
to be a Resident in My Heart - not just a 

casual Visitor who comes when you have an
urgent need that you want Me to take care of 

or you're worried about someone you love 

whom you know I Love as well but then...

you disappear...gone...until the next emergency

awakens your remembrance of Me...Listen closely...

there is so much More I Desire to Reveal / Share 

with you...Say and Do through you...Give you

but...so many times when you get what you need...

you move on because you have so many other 

things to do or think about...you get busy with 

this or that...so much going on in your life..

sometimes I'm lost among your other important 

relationships...at other times I'm very far down 

your priority / to-do list...I respect your freedom and
leave you free to...come and go...listen or not...
receive or ignore...open or close your heart... but
I want you to know this...I shall continue to 

Pursue you and sometimes even allow the
negative fruit of your decisions to fester deep 

within your wounded nature...whether it be anxieties...

insecurities...some things falling apart in your life 

where you have not yet allowed Me to be Lord and 

therefore are still in 'disorder' with the goal that you 

will notice something is missing / not right and ask

'why is this happening?' or 'where is the Lord?'...

'why is He not helping me?' in order to bring you 

back into My Presence so that I can lead you into 

a deeper Union -.otherwise I may lose you to the 

enemy through his deceptive ways in this fallen 

world ...so full of self-centered preoccupations...

so many idols to worship.. passions to pursue....
so I Call you to Come back to Me...become a 

Resident in My Presence...Step by Step...Grace 

by Grace...More and More...Day by Day...you 

are meant to thrive in My Presence with ALL the

Graces I offer you... learning to Trust / Rest in 

My Love for you especially when Purifying Trials 

strip away and I Heal that which hinders you from going

Higher / Deeper in our Union and thus reaping the 

boundless harvest of the Fruit of My Spirit... so...

when you find yourself wandering away from

My Presence simply turn to Me whispering My Name 

as in the 'Jesus Prayer'...Humbly asking with Thanksgiving

for all you need especially the Grace to Surrender once 

more by permitting My Spirit to usher you into My 

Presence there to Rejoice and becoming the Clay for the 

Potter molding you into My Image and Likeness... Forged

by the Fire of My Love that you may 'say what I am saying 

and do what I am doing'...so...yes.. become My Abiding 

Disciple - a Permanent Resident - for you are called to 

become as I AM - GLORIFIED!!

Reflection/Discussion:

-Are you more of a Resident or a Visitor? Why?
-What does it mean to be Resident not a Visitor in the Lord's Presence?
-Is it even possible? Why/not?
-What practical decisions can you make to be more in His Presence"

-What is the 'Jesus Prayer'? How can it help you to be a Resident?
-What is the first Fruit we reap when we live in His Order?
-Does the Lord Will bad fruit to happen to us or Permit it? What's the difference?
-Why does He let that happen?
-How can we take advantage of His Presence more each day?
-How can we learn to "say what He is saying and do what He is doing"?