Love Simple
Jesus says, “Abide in My Love.” (John 15:9)
Almost four weeks ago my life changed forever. On March 31, 2010 I had major surgery at Providence Hospital in Medford Oregon to remove cysts that were causing debilitating pain. Providence is the divine guidance of God and this guidance is the infinite Love that is always present never absent—the infinite Love that you are. It is the essence of life itself. The common experience for most people is to be completely unaware of this infinite Love, this omniscient guidance that is continually flowing through your life. Certainly, I have witnessed this invisible guidance at work in my life more than once and this recent surgery offers a perfect example. Dr. Lanita Witt was highly recommended by my doctor and, due to her reputation of being one of the best doctors in her field, it looked like it would be several weeks before I could see her, but when Dr. Witt saw my chart she immediately cleared her schedule and an appointment was made for February. On that cold raining day of my first appointment I was surprised to see a crucifix hanging on the wall across from the receptionist and was even more surprised to see a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in the lobby. ‘Hmmmm…’ I thought to myself, ‘This is no ordinary hospital!’ My first appointment was almost three hours in length—I have never had a doctor spend so much time reviewing everything. It was obvious from the ultrasound images combined with the intense pain that I was experiencing that surgery was going to be necessary. And with all the technology and professionalism what overwhelmed me the most was the Love. The Love that mysteriously led me to this Grace filled hospital and the very humble, loving, compassionate doctor who quite literally saved my life.
Jesus says, “Abide in My Love.” (John 15:9) Abidance is the state of abiding—unending, unchanging, unshakeable. Abiding in Love is simply stopping to recognizing that you are that endless, unending, unchanging Love. Love is so simple and so few perceive this infinitude. In 1827 a young woman named Émilie Gamelin was more than likely not thinking of herself as Love. She was still grieving the loss of her first two children who died shortly after their birth, when her husband died of a long illness, and as if this heartbreak wasn’t enough, it was soon followed by the shattering heartbreak of the death of her third and only remaining child. The heartbreak of this young woman was so intense that the only thing that offered her any solace was service to others in need. She devoted all of her time to caring for the sick, the elderly, orphans, and the mentally ill as well as those in prison. In 1840 she became a postulate of the Catholic Church in Montreal Canada. And on March 30, 1844 she founded the Sisters of Providence Catholic Order as Mother Gamelin, the first Superior General of the young community. Mother Gamelin later became known as Mother of the Poor and her shelters became known as the House of Providence. It was the Sisters of Providence who carried on the work of Mother Gamelin building the Providence Hospital where my surgery was performed as well as several other hospitals in Canada as well as the west coast of the United States. The profundity of Mother Gamelin’s tireless work and service are encapsulated in her final words. What were Mother Gamelin’s last words and how can this life experience at Providence Hospital help you to understand the teaching of Jesus on an even deeper level?
In August of 1851 there was a cholera epidemic in Montreal Canada. Three of the Sisters of Providence who were caring for those stricken with this life threatening illness contracted the disease and died. A month later Mother Gamelin woke up the sisters in the middle of the night saying, ‘I have the cholera. I am going to die.” The sisters gathered around her and in the morning Mother Gamelin’s final words were, ‘humility, simplicity, charity.’ And those three words are the fertile ground in which the network of Providence Hospitals took root.
Having surgery of any kind is no small event and I have to admit I was more than a little nervous about the idea, but once I was in the hospital getting ready for surgery a strange peace unfolded within me and around me and I felt an amazing presence—infinite Love. For me it was an opportunity to meet death and in a true meeting of death you have the opportunity to see, really see that who you are at the core of your being is indescribable peace and Love—infinite Love—eternal Life! Whoa!
Just before they wheeled me into the operating room a Chaplin emerged and held my hand and my friend’s who was with me and said a deep heartfelt prayer. A few moments later I could hear this same Chaplin’s voice saying a prayer on a loud speaker for the entire ward and the Love I was feeling just expanded and expanded—there was no doubt in my mind, I was This infinite Love and so is everyone else. All I can say is—Wow—Amazing Hospital This!
Jesus says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:39) What does he mean by Love your neighbor as yourself? Could it be that you really are Love and so is your neighbor? Is it possible that everyone is the Love that they are seeking? Why not stop for a moment and check it out? If you stop, are quiet, and just listen to this, deeply listen, you will have an opportunity to experience this Love directly, intimately. Love begins and ends with you—to love your neighbor as yourself, don’t you have to start with loving yourself? If you don’t deeply, intimately, love yourself how can you possibly love everyone else?
Jesus is Love. You are Love. Everyone is Love—No separation. Really it is Love Simple. Jesus illuminates, “I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ —And the righteous will ask, “And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?” To this Jesus responds, “Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.” Mother Gamelin demonstrates the eternal nature of deeply understanding this—hmmmm—worth contemplating don’t you think?
Jesus says, “All things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Matthew 21:22) The surgery was perfect in every way that surgery can be perfect. There was hardly any pain, which I discovered from the nurses on staff is a trademark of all of Dr. Witt’s surgeries. Certainly, it is a testimony to Dr. Witt’s skill as a surgeon as well as a testimony to the infinite Grace of prayer and the invisible Love of Providence!
The deepest surrender naturally occurs when you stop talking to yourself and simply listen. When you are listening, there is no story, no internal dialog, and amazingly no suffering. And it is in an instant of simply being quiet and still, you have an opportunity to see the truth of who you are—Love.
The mind is complex. Thought is complex. When you identify with your thoughts, with the complexity of your life, and you will miss this endless simplicity of the Love that all thoughts emerge from—The endless Love that is beating your heart right now! Truly, deeply, it is Love—Simple.
I am deeply grateful for the Sisters of Providence, for Dr. Witt’s inspiring skill, love, and humility, and for this unprecedented opportunity to recognize first hand that I am that endless Love that Jesus eternally points to and so are you! Wow!
Stop for a moment and follow the feeling of Love within your very own Heart and let me know what you discover?
I promise you, deeply, it really is Love Simple!
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john says:
i love it i think that you did a good job keep up the good work
April 27th, 2010 at 7:26 pm
Starina Makar says:
This simple four-letter word ‘LOVE’ so simple, humbling and True.
This is so badly needed in our world, as it is now, and when I am ‘talking’ with the Lord, as I often do, I always admit to Him that Love, Forgieness and Compassion that is so needed now must begin with me.
Such a beautiful, inspiring story this gentleman has shared with us. Thank you Jill for reminding us about the Lord’s infinite gift to us.
Love and light always.
Starina.
April 27th, 2010 at 8:15 pm
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Beloved Starina,
Yes, Love begins with you : ) Truly, it is so simple and for so many difficult to perceive.
The great gift of Jesus is he gives you permission to Love Everyone as Love. There is no greater gift.
Not sure what you mean by ‘inspring story this gentleman has shared with us’ Are you referring to someone’s comment?
Sending you Love and Support….Always!
Jill
April 27th, 2010 at 9:57 pm
denis khan says:
Where is the best place to live? Every year, the UN asks this question about countries, and releases their recommendations in the Human Development Report. The UN uses only three basic criteria to determine the world’s most hospitable and inhabitable countries: life expectancy, educational level, and annual income.
Our neighboring planet, the Moon, fails all these criteria. No water, oxygen, gravity, etc.Yet we love the Moon more than the Sun. The Moon merely reflects the sunlight in the darkness of the night.
Regardless of our levels of wealth, goodness, sanctity, like the Moon, we are required only to reflect the Sunshine Love of God through our lives into the darkness around us.
April 28th, 2010 at 4:08 am
gregory ashok says:
Quran says that Prophet Easha (Jesus) has been given soveriegn authority to heal, forgive, judge and give salvation and none other than Him. Bible endorses the same with more validilty. Jesus healed you and not the doctors. Indian spiritual dogmas are misguiding and you shall not blindly believe everything.
April 28th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Beloved Denis,
If you stop, are still and quiet and simply listen—you will be silent and in that silence you have an opportunity to recognize that you are a light far greater than the light of the Sun—the light of the world and beyond!
Deep Love to you…
Jill
April 29th, 2010 at 12:56 am
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Beloved Gregory,
Did Jesus heal or did God heal? Does Jesus heal or is it God that heals? Where is God? Who is God?
I do not believe in any dogma, whether it is Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhism—it makes no difference. No dogma will, nor has it ever revealed the Truth.
The only way to discover the Truth for yourself is to enter by the narrow gate. Only you can enter this gate, no one can do it for you. The question that naturally arises is—where is the narrow gate that Jesus speaks of?
Deep Love and Appreciation to you..
Jill
April 29th, 2010 at 1:00 am
Charles says:
Dearest Jill,
To put Jesus in a list which next to him are ordinary people is a huge mistake. There’s no comparison what so ever. Jesus was the only person on Earth who declared openly that he is the Son of God. There is enough statements by Jesus and by others that He and his Father are one, but I never saw it yet in your blog. I will start with John 1: 34 And I saw, and I gave testimony, that this is the Son of God. That is John the Baptist himself as a witness John 3:16 For God so loved the world, as to give his only begotten Son; that whosoever believe in him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting. John 10:36 what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? 37 Do not believe me unless I do what my Father does. 38 But if I do it, even though you do not believe me, believe the miracles, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” John 14:9 Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Jesus established God’s Spirit within us, Jesus established God’s love, Jesus’ statements were all spiritual, and since we carry this filthy corrupted flesh, and respect and love it there is no way of understand Jesus speeches. Flesh and Spirit are enemies and the only way of reaching God’s realm is through death since we are so attached to this flesh and more to this material world. The narrow gate is to live in this world and deny it in the same time by dedicating our life to the needy in every sense. Our ,what we call and struggle to achieve, civilization system is a complete deceive ,and we are living to please only this filthy flesh and it is destroying us bit by bit. We are completely slaves to this body and completely ignoring the reality that we are living a huge joke and if we really believe in the afterlife we must sacrifice ourselves for others as much as we can, and that’s real LOVE not just say it. I feel that generally speaking, we are more earnestly searching to please ourselves, and even ready to make life more difficult for others for it and also ignoring our neighbor, simply because we are living only within and for this corrupted flesh. The wide gate.
Sending love to you Jill and to all
within Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior the only Human God on Earth.
April 30th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Starina Makar says:
Dear Jill,
forgive my spelling mistake - my eyes are not so good anymore and I touch-type (with errors because the print is too small for me nowadays).
I meant ‘his inspiring story’. I always feel so happy inside when I hear or read about someone’s spiritual discovery and connection with the Lord. More and more people are finding Him in their lives
and He has begun to bring those who love Him together in some way or other.
Peace and Love to you and yours and all of your readers.
Starina
May 1st, 2010 at 12:26 am
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Beloved Charles,
I love and appreciate your deep passion for Truth. You are way too hard on yourself though and Truth is far more simple, really, it is Love Simple.
One thing for you to contemplate:
Jesus says, “…that you may know and understand that the Father is in me, and I in the Father.” John 14:9
And more importantly he says, ““I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I in you.” (John 14:20)
Is there any separation here? What do these two statements really mean?
Here is a clue:
“Love your neighbor as your own self!.”
Deep Deep Love and Appreciation to You….
Jill
May 1st, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Beloved Starina,
No need to apologize–thank you for clarifying. That happiness inside is the endless Love that you really are—true lasting happiness.
Deep Love and Support to you…
Jill
May 1st, 2010 at 6:12 pm
Starina Makar says:
Dearest Jill,
thankyou for the love and comfort you bring me through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Peace and Joy always
from Starina
May 2nd, 2010 at 9:24 pm
Garretot says:
Greatings, ЎGracias por el artнculo. Cada vez que quieres leer.
Gracias
Garretot
May 5th, 2010 at 11:07 pm
Starina Makar says:
Dear Jill,
I have just received an email from Mannie - opened his new website and read his very interesting article ‘As we live so shall we die’ under his heading ‘Lost Souls’.
As I replied to him what he says about the flesh -v- soul is what you keep asking us to see where Jesus is pointing - to the Heart (not the pump) and Upward to the Creator/God/Father.
Mannie explains this very well and maybe your readers would like to know about this.
Love and Light always to you and everyone.
Starina
May 7th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Jill Warner says:
Dearest Starina,
Sure. I would love to read it : ) Do you have a link or can you forward it to me at: jillw@wisdomrock.org
Love is Always Here : )
Jill
May 7th, 2010 at 5:06 pm