聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 God breaks into our ordinary lives and touches us with miracles and His love.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Christian writer Larry Petersonrecounts this story about a dear friend who is now deceased, but who attended Mass faithfully every Sunday from the weekend of this phone call until his death.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧etie, I am going to Mass this Sunday. What do you think of that?鈥� Jumbo Feeney had not been to Mass in decades. He would go to church for a social event like a wedding or a funeral, but never on his own.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽鈥淥kay, Jumbo, what happened?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ere it is. And I ain鈥檛 never told this to anyone, so keep it under your hat. Every night when Midge and I go to bed, she grabs my hand and we say a Hail Mary. Then she says, 鈥楪od loves you, Jumbo.鈥� Then we go to sleep.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淏ut I never paid attention and just let her say her prayer and that was that. And she never bugged me about it, ever.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o what happened?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ell, last night, Midge was acting weird and suddenly passed out. I freaked out. She fell down on the floor and was out cold. Jimmy quickly says to me, 鈥楪randpa, it鈥檚 Grandma鈥檚 blood sugar. She needs something sweet to eat. You have to check her blood sugar.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧etie, I didn鈥檛 know what to do. She has diabetes all these years and I didn鈥檛 know what to do. I went blank. So, my 12-year-old grandson gets Midge鈥檚 blood sugar kit out, sticks her finger and finds out her sugar is 39. He gets some OJ and some sugar and some stuff for her to eat and he saved her, Petie. My grandson saved my wife while I stood there like a useless ass. If he hadn鈥檛 been there I鈥斺�澛� Then I heard my 6-foot, 5-inch, 250-pound buddy stifle a sob.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淧etie, she came around, and Jimmy and I got her on the couch. She is sitting up looking at me and I鈥檓 feeling like a fool. Then she takes a deep breath, looks at me and asks me if I will please go to Mass with her on Easter Sunday.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淪o what did you tell her, Jumbo?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚 put my arm around her shoulder, looked her square in those beautiful green eyes and said, 鈥楳idge, I swear to you, I will go to Mass with you every Sunday from this Easter on. I swear it. All those times you told me that 鈥楪od loves me,鈥� well, Midgie, you were right. He does love me. He gave me you back. I owe him big time.鈥欌��
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ey, Jumbo, give Midge a hug for me, will ya? And, Happy Easter. Love ya, man.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淵eah, love ya too, Petie. Happy Easter.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sometimes our ordinary lives are a daily struggle, but with a prayer, we鈥檙e half way there as Bon Jovi sings in 鈥淟ivin On A Prayer鈥�:
鈥淲hoa, we're half way there
Whoa, livin' on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sometimes it is tough to see the elusive success we all strive for:
鈥淲e've gotta hold on to what we've got.
It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I know, you鈥檝e all heard it before: it鈥檚 the journey that matters. Saint Teresa of Calcutta said, 鈥淕od doesn't require us to succeed, he only requires that you try.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And sometimes God sends us a little story about His great love and how simple it is for us to pass that message on to those we love.
