J
JCPhoenix
Guest
I would like to say, for the record, that I don’t believe in “coincidence”.
I started this thread becasue I really need to share some things, and I am seeing God’s pattern…I could not have planned this. I’m wondering how many people have come across these patterns themselves?
Background: OK…I come from a small family, Mom, Dad, my brother, and myself. Mom was/is Catholic, Dad was Lutheran and we were raised in the Catholic faith.
When I was 7, my parents had been married for 13 years. They seperated and were divorced after their 14th Anniversary. I was 8. Reason: Dad was a chronic alcoholic, and it eventually killed him. He was a wonderful human being and demonstrated that until the day he died. But he had a disease and it didn’t just kill him…it destroyed his family and countless relationships.
Etc…I grew up, struggled in faith among other things and finally found a professional niche, allowing me to purchase my first home…a townhome. I am single, female, and have been praying for good Catholic friends.
Lo and behold! On the other side of my wall are 2 wonderful single, Catholic young women! We have become friends…and our meetings together always seem to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
I am only a few blocks from my church, and there is a Rosary garden there, filled with the stations of the cross and the scene from Fatima. I often go there when I walk the dog and I spend time praying quietly. It has already gotten me through a few stressful times.
So this evening I stayed close to home on our walk and when I returned, my next door neighbor was sitting outside, still recovering from a very recent kidney attack. (As an aside, I woke up the other night and something told me to pray. I did…and learned in the morning that at about that time they were calling the ambulance for her.)
We spent some time talking tonight as I inquired as to how she was doing. I learned that:
Why, oh why, am I not surprised? And what does God really want me to do/learn here?
I almost cried tonight as I spoke with my neighbor…her pain was tangible and I can nearly predict to the year what will happen to them. Yet I can’t stop what is already happening. I told her I would pray for her and her family. I also told her that if she needs anything my door is open.
Can all of you pray also? Pray that what happens to them, and especially their daughter, doesn’t happen as it did to my family?
And please share with me any other patterns you’ve seen in your life as to where God brought you—the “spiritual conincidences.”
I started this thread becasue I really need to share some things, and I am seeing God’s pattern…I could not have planned this. I’m wondering how many people have come across these patterns themselves?
Background: OK…I come from a small family, Mom, Dad, my brother, and myself. Mom was/is Catholic, Dad was Lutheran and we were raised in the Catholic faith.
When I was 7, my parents had been married for 13 years. They seperated and were divorced after their 14th Anniversary. I was 8. Reason: Dad was a chronic alcoholic, and it eventually killed him. He was a wonderful human being and demonstrated that until the day he died. But he had a disease and it didn’t just kill him…it destroyed his family and countless relationships.
Etc…I grew up, struggled in faith among other things and finally found a professional niche, allowing me to purchase my first home…a townhome. I am single, female, and have been praying for good Catholic friends.
Lo and behold! On the other side of my wall are 2 wonderful single, Catholic young women! We have become friends…and our meetings together always seem to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
I am only a few blocks from my church, and there is a Rosary garden there, filled with the stations of the cross and the scene from Fatima. I often go there when I walk the dog and I spend time praying quietly. It has already gotten me through a few stressful times.
So this evening I stayed close to home on our walk and when I returned, my next door neighbor was sitting outside, still recovering from a very recent kidney attack. (As an aside, I woke up the other night and something told me to pray. I did…and learned in the morning that at about that time they were calling the ambulance for her.)
We spent some time talking tonight as I inquired as to how she was doing. I learned that:
- Tomorrow is she and her husband’s 14th anniversary.
- He is a chronic alcoholic.
- They have been married for 13 years (and their daughter is 8–just turned)
- She is ready to leave him because of the disease but stays with him because of their child.
Why, oh why, am I not surprised? And what does God really want me to do/learn here?
I almost cried tonight as I spoke with my neighbor…her pain was tangible and I can nearly predict to the year what will happen to them. Yet I can’t stop what is already happening. I told her I would pray for her and her family. I also told her that if she needs anything my door is open.
Can all of you pray also? Pray that what happens to them, and especially their daughter, doesn’t happen as it did to my family?
And please share with me any other patterns you’ve seen in your life as to where God brought you—the “spiritual conincidences.”