”Heads up we just got hit with a tornado!” This was the message that popped up on my phone two weeks ago. The message was from a close relative. Tornado?! Are you serious? I looked outside and saw some clouds but nothing alarming at my house.
The tornado had blown powerfully across the lake throwing his kayaks, iron table and chairs, umbrella and gazebo into the air before dropping them into the lake. Fortunately, and most importantly, my relative and his family were not injured. The destruction took only a few minutes, trying to repair the damage took much longer.
I received another text from him just the other day. This is what he told me. "I had noticed that the lake was calm during my lunch hour. I decided to test the paddle board that was damaged in the tornado to see if the patch I used would hold water. While paddling I tried looking once again for part of my gazebo’s missing roof." (He had been searching for it for the past two weeks. The neighbor’s had told him they had seen it fly 200 feet into the air. ) "Feeling frustrated I just said out loud, 'Grandma I don't remember which saint you pray to when you lose something, but if you could please help me out here I'm still missing my piece of roof from my gazebo.' I was just about to give up when I felt I should look a little further out. I couldn't believe it when I suddenly saw my missing piece of roof more than 60 feet from the shore and in 8 feet of water. I smiled and said, 'Thank you Grandma!'
I asked him if I could share his story because it really touched me. Not just because we got to feel my Grandma's love again, but it is good to be reminded how much God cares and loves each one of us. God allows those who loved us during their lifetime to continue loving us from heaven. He allows the saints in heaven to intercede on our behalf whether they are a recognized saint of the Catholic Church or our own saintly loved one. Our God is beyond amazing!
I hope this story encourages you to pray to your loved ones that have passed. I hope you still make them a part of your life. I also hope the next time you pray the Creed you smile as you say, “ I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen.” God showers us with miracles big and small to remind us how beautiful and true our faith really is. Those who follow Christ do have everlasting life.
-Susan
