HIn Sunday’s post about St. Therese, we discussed her plan to do good works on earth after getting to heaven. In one of her journals she wrote, “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” (found here, para 6) Roses have actually become a trademark of St. Therese. A lot of people who prayed for her intercession, reported roses appearing inexplicably in their lives just before their prayers were answered.
For example, a man who was having a difficult time prayed to St. Therese, and later that day his wife came home with a beautiful picture of a red rose that said, “Love is Forever.” A young woman reports that her father had been through a series of layoffs and couldn’t find a job. One day, after she prayed to St. Therese, her sister’s boyfriend showed up with a dozen roses for no particular reason, something he had never done before. Later that week her dad got a job, which he kept until retirement.
There are a lot of stories of people who prayed to St. Therese and found unexpected roses in their lives someplace. Is St. Therese really spending her time in heaven finding ways to make roses appear in the lives of people who need a boost of faith? Or are these really just a series of coincidences? I don’t really know the answer. I believe that it is absolutely possible for St. Therese to intercede for us and cause roses to appear in our lives.
Maybe it doesn’t really matter why the roses appeared. Maybe all that matters is that the recipients feel empowered and inspired in their faith. Have you ever had something happen in your life that strengthened your faith? What made it inspirational for you? What makes an event seem inspired instead of coincidental? Honestly, I think the perspective we take is completely dependent upon our own ideas about faith.
I remember when my family was going through the difficult process of planning my dad’s funeral. We accompanied Mom to the funeral home to take care of details like choosing a casket and designing the prayer card. Mom saw one casket that seemed nice without being too extravagant. Then they asked about the cloth lining that she wanted. She asked for a blue liner, and it turned out that blue was only available in that casket. Did Dad guide her to the one she would like to make this difficult task a little easier? Did the Lord guide her? I don’t know. Honestly, I am leaning toward guidance, either from Dad or by Dad’s intercession, maybe coming directly from God.
Actually, I think we all have stories like that, in one form or another. I believe that what really matters is how we respond to them. Ultimately, everything is from God, so it is fair to say there is no coincidence. I believe that I am just getting used to recognizing God’s hand in my daily life. As I begin to see Him, it impacts the way I react to the events of every day. I am still human, and I have human emotions, but it seems that they are less volatile when I stay aware of God in my heart.
Dear God, thank you for inspiring us with the everyday events and the extraordinary. Please help us to recognize that You are working through the people around us. Allow our faith to guide us.