windmills

Photo by Pixabay from Pexels: 

I felt the need to take a brief break and stretch this morning by going to the bookshelf to grab my copy of Josemaria Escriva's compilation of The Way, Furrow, The Forge that my late father gave me. You can also find it online here https://www.escrivaworks.org/. I know I shouldn't treat this book as some kind of Magic 8 ball, but it randomly opened to the chapter The Heart from the Furrow section. Passage 811 states:

"Someone has compared the heart to a windmill, moved by the wind of love and passion. Indeed, that windmill can grind wheat, barley or dried dung. It is up to us."

Then an earlier passage, number 807, states: 

"Carefully avoid anything that can hurt other people's hearts."

Further, within the section of The Forge there is the chapter on Struggle and number 149 and 151 state:

"Bring out your spirit of mortification in those nice touches of charity, eager to make the way of sanctity in the midst of the world attractive for everyone. Sometimes a smile can be the best proof of a spirit of penance." 

"You should make sure that wherever you are, there is that good humor--that cheerfulness--which is born of an interior life."

 Wherever you are and whatever your current mood, please smile even for a moment. Know that there will always be a reason to smile. Smile for achievements. Smile when you feel contented. Smile, though your heart is aching...you'll get by if you smile (as that song goes). I hope that this post provides some explanation to something. It certainly gave me food for thought and points for self-reflection.

Update: On the topic of a Magic 8 ball and seeking answers...the Oracle of Delphi comes to mind...Apollo...knowledge...the cosmos...dreams...fractal antennae. Hormonal imbalance? This was an intense cerebral journey, wasn't it? A la Professor X using the Cerebro. But we keep moving forward, as Walt Disney once stated…tough journey yet grateful. Tough—pain relief required. *pops open a virtual Tylenol*