Cane toads.

Returning from my recent trip to Darwin and all the experiences I had there, my reflections lead me to thinking about Cane toads...

It's actually impossible not to think about them in Darwin. They're EVERYWHERE! they're pests.
Interesting story of why they're taking over northern Australia... They were introduced to Australia from Hawaii in 1935 as an experiment to get rid of natural Australian beetles that were ruining the cane crops. Only 150ish were released originally. Now they are over 200million in number and ever increasing, they hurt our natural wildlife and have caused many native animals and reptiles to become endangered AND they didn't even solve the whole beetle problem.

Anyway! There are plenty of them in Darwin, so many they even have this gross game where they pop them by running over them.

What amazed me of how far and wide they spread, just being what they were created to be. Toads. dangerous, gross toads. It's not they're fault they were dragged to a country that wasn't meant for them, but they just thrived!

I think.... we are called to be like toads. not annoying and dangerous and poisonous and stuff... But to grow where we are planted and thrive being who we are intended to be.

As a Catholic, it is hard to think how I can change the world, and how can I not get affected by the worldly things around me. But I should take a note from the cane toads. Be who God meant for me to be, and grow where He has placed me. People may try to pop me by running me over,  people may be scared of what I believe, and there will be many who don't accept me. But with unwavering faith and loving action I can be and bring Christ where I go. First I need to be rooted in Christ, and I need to soak in the life giving water and radiant Son.

We're in the business of saving souls. It doesn't take momentus actions to do it. Just be and bring Christ's love where you are and we'll spread like cane toads.

Prayer 12 by St Catherine of Sienna

Prayer 12 (XXII)*
In your nature,
eternal Godhead,
I shall come to know my nature.

And what is my nature, boundless love?
It is fire,
because you are nothing but a fire of love.
And you have given humankind
a share in this nature,
for by the fire of love
you created us.

And so with all other people
and every created thing;
you made them out of love.
O ungrateful people!

What nature has your God given you?
His very own nature!
Are you not ashamed to cut yourself off from such a noble thing
through the guilt of deadly sin?

O eternal Trinity,
my sweet love!
You, light,
give us light.

You, wisdom,
Give us wisdom.
You, supreme strength,
strengthen us.

Today, eternal God,
let our cloud be dissipated
so that we may perfectly know and follow your Truth
in truth,
with a free and simple heart.

God, come to our assistance!
Lord, make haste to help us!
Amen.

To see a World in a grain of sand...

‘To see a World in a grain of sand,And heaven in a wild flower,Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand,And Eternity in an hour.’                              --William Blake, Auguries of Innocence

So I'm currently writing a year English 7 Unit of work on poetry.
"To see a world in a grain of sand" is what I've chosen as the Unit theme. There is so much in this world that is beautiful, but there are so many times I feel weighed down and saddened by all the ugliness.

My simple prayer today is thank you Lord for sharing your beauty, and may you fill me with your strength that I may never lose hope and fall into despair. May I remember that you are greater than any problems, both my own and the world's.

Just a short, sweet to fill the cup today after my last essay.

A couple of bandaids and a lot of patients... I mean patience.

This is me starting again. After some bandaids and a lot of waiting, something tells me it's time to start again. Here goes...

I work as a receptionist at a medical centre. Some days are busy, some days are not, some patients are sweet and some.... are testing. Today has been one of the busiest days I've seen since I've worked here. Patients coming in for a whole assortment of reasons ranging from the common cough cold to some more serious problems.
It's been so busy patients have had to wait for more than 3 hours!
There are still 7 patients left with less than 45 minutes till closing and I stopped accepting patients at 12:30!!! It looks like I'm going to be finishing late... That's besides the point.. ANYWAY!

Where to start... oh! ok...
Today a couple came in with a baby girl who is only 9 days old.baby. They had a 2 hour wait in front of them, and a medical centre waiting room is not the ideal environment for a newborn. To ease their worries I put them in a back room away from other sick patients and tried to make them feel at ease. I thought I understood that they would be uber concerned as all new parents usually are. As much as I tried to cater for them, care for them and reassure them, they came across as quite impatient and rude.

When I returned to my seat behind the counter I was quite upset at their actions and attitude. My thought was how dare they treat me like this after I've already done more for them than the others. Needed to practice my deep breathing because they weren't the first rude patients of the day.
Continuing my duties at one point, when I was still frustrated, I need to walk past the room I had given them, and I saw the litlle girls father holding her so close to him while her mother looked on with a worried face, soothing her with her hand. My anger melted away. I thought I understood how worried they are, but I didn't, because I never understood how much love they had for her. My assumptions fell short. Yes their actions were rude, but they were so full of love for their daughter.

It made me awefully reflective and re-inspired me to start blogging again. I haven't blogged in a while for personal reasons. I haven't written anything in a while and I was one of those "carry a journal everywhere and write everything" kind of people... but I think God's given me enough band aids and ample to time, and today He gave me that extra push to share Him again.

Writing this helps me to find understanding. I assumed I understood how the parents felt, but I didn't, their love for their daughter is so great. I have assumed that I know how much my own parents love me, but I don't. I have assumed how much God loves me, but I realise I will never, ever come close to comprehending that.

I'm still and always will be learning. I think it starts with humility. Thank you Lord for this humbling experience.
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When you get a scratch or cut the first step is to apply pressure with an absorbent material to slow down or stop the bleeding.

Then you remove the big chunks of stuff and clean the wound. Ideally you apply disinfectant or betadine or something.

Then when it's clean, you put a band aid on it and wait for it to heal. Sometimes depending on the severity of the cut, you may need to repeat the process numerous times, of cleaning and band aids. and sometimes you need to take the band aid off to let it breath and evaluate how it is.

Slowly the cut scabs, then gets smaller and smaller, after a while the skin heals over itself and your left with a scar, and on some occasions, if treated well and if able the scar is non-existent.

But this process takes time.

Thank you Lord for tending to and mending my scratches and cuts, even when I pick at them and make them worse.
May I learn to trust your treatment, and refrain from picking at them when you tell me not to :)

I hope I can help you in reminding others too.
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