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Post by Cepha on Dec 3, 2009 23:21:10 GMT -5
Talk about "signs"!
I have a story to share that is going to be undeniably inspiring.
Will be back...
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 2:52:08 GMT -5
Ok, so here goes...
...after having suffered the greatest set-back of my life, as I sat in my room contemplating whether or not I should even leave the house, something pushed me to go ahead and do what I had been wanting to do...I wanted to go to Church.
With a slew of problems in mind, I trekked out of the house and made my way to the local Church. I didn't know what laid ahead of me or what to expect, I just followed the voice inside that was guiding me.
I needed several things that day.
1) Access to a computer, so I immediately thought "library", but where would I find one where I was?
2) Inspiration. I needed something to grasp, something to believe in again.
3) Reconcilliation with God.
As I walked to Church and pondered these things, I grew weaker, almost turning around at times as if there was an opposing force which was making me focus on my failures rather than on what I needed to do.
Somehow, I made it (after actually having turned around at least once). While closing in on The Church, something caught my eye. Literally 100' from The Church was a Library! And you know what they have in Libraries, right? Public computers. Wow! Cool! One problem solved!
Then, what was going on "on" The Church also took me aback. They were installing a new roof (my trade). So I got to talking with the contractor there who was very interested in me! Even if he never called me, just that encounter gave me that other "something" I needed..."inspiration".
And finally, I entered The Church and just happened to catch a Priest who was jusssst about to leave and I had my confession heard.
On top of all of that, the biggest 2 problems I had got solved minutes "after" leaving Church in front of The Library. Then, I go into the Library and handle my business.
The blessings just kept coming...once I got home, I had a Wireless Laptop waiting for me in my room (gift of a friend) out of the blue. Not only that, after having lost a vehicle, I managed not only to secure the exact same vehicle where I'm at now (at a great price from a buddy I could trust for 20 years), but even had another vehicle at my disposal.
And, I got to see my 2 beautiful little Girls who I haven't seen in almost 4 months (which was breaking my heart) and spend some great time with them.
Then, I realized it. I had nothing to feel miserable for. Well, maybe just one thing. But I couldn't control that one thing.
God took care of everything that He could, but couldn't force the other thing, the last thing to be resolved.
If anything, as my life was getting better and better literally from the moment that I arrived "home", the final "thing" that was weighing me down was removed from me (against my will).
Which, in retrospect, is fine. It is what it is. I took care of everything I could control...correction, "God" took care of everything that didn't involve robbing anybody of their free will.
I honestly have no idea why God is so good to me.
I don't deserve it at all.
I must have done something good in my life, because He never let's me fall so far that I cannot recover. And this time, I fell farther than ever. And this time, I didn't even want to get up. I just wanted to lay in my mess and wallow in it and just melt away.
God is great.
He is "so" in my life.
I see things that happen and I cannot deny that it is Him working in my life.
I picked up a Bible and read Sirach for a few days to help me get through a tough time and to help me remember what behavior is expected by me from God. And those words stayed in my head. And they helped me.
In essence, nothing has really changed. My life is as it was just days before God really began to make His presence felt more in my life. But, I have something that I didn't have back then...I have hope.
God has placed breadcrumbs for me to walk myself out of the dark forest I find myself in...correction again, the dark forest I "placed" myself in. I am being tested daily, almost moment by moment. But, I know that I am where He wants me right now.
People, let me share this with those of you who come here daily to lurk...God loves me. He loves me big time. For all my faults, for all my failings, God loves me.
And if He can love a loser, degenerate, weak, insignificant, failure like me who keeps repeating the same mistakes over and over to his detriment, he certainly loves everybody else especially since I, having been blessed with so much throughout my life, don't deserve His mercy.
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 3:14:43 GMT -5
A small thing, not really noticeable to most, but very noticeable to me, as I walked into The Church, I hopefully looked for something that matters so much to me...Holy Water. And to my heart's content, there it was!  Not my preference, but beautiful none the less (I'm partial to more traditional architecture in a Catholic Church)... The Church...  The Altar...  |
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 3:57:37 GMT -5
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 4:10:50 GMT -5
The "tough" crowd I roll with...  The four in the middle...Father Apostoli (has his own show on EWTN) I've met twice [he told me I have a gift to minister to fallen away Catholics and to defend The Church], Father Glenn who was my spiritual guide who's been featured on religious documentaries on A&E, The Discovery Channel, etc..., Father Groeschel, the man in charge who hosts "Sunday" at 7:00pm on EWTN and who I say is mostly responsible for my coming back home to Mother Church...I spent Easter Mass with him the year before last and I gave up my candle for him because he didn't have one...when his came, he instructed the friar to give his candle to me. I like to think that he carried my "light" and I carried his "light". When you're in his presence, you feel like you're in front of a living Saint. And finally, there's Father Stan Fortuna (I worked on his father's house's roof [who happens to be my Uncle's neighbor] before I ever met Father Stan. Father Glenn Video... www.franciscanfriars.com/gallery/frglennthanks.htmIn short, I have been blessed by, prayed for and have been reconciled to God by men who have literally walked and talked with The Holy Father himself at the time, Pope John Paul II, the successor to Saint Peter!  |
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 5:17:02 GMT -5
Along with Holy Water, I missed this...
And this...
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Post by Cepha on Dec 7, 2009 19:05:12 GMT -5
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Post by Cepha on Dec 11, 2009 1:17:58 GMT -5
"...Thank You Father for having answered my prayer."
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