Just wanted to ask for prayer support for my latest efforts at stealth evangelism. For over a year I've been collecting well-prayed, old rosaries and I've been giving them out when inspired to do so. There is a woman on the periphery of my family who, at best, views my faith with a jaundiced eye. Several months ago, she told me this dream. "A dark figure was holding me down to stab me in the heart and kill me. He kept telling me to be still and it would go better for me. I was going along with him, then suddenly decided to fight back. I was wounded, but got away. You found me and carried me to where I could get help." Then she asked, "Would you really do that for me?" I assured her that I most certainly would, and ramped up my prayers for her immediately. On Halloween I saw her and she was dressed as a nun. She said, "I was worried you'd see me in this and be offended." I told her I'd much rather see her in a nun's habit than in a hooker's outfit. Then she said, "I really needed a rosary for my costume, and wanted to ask you for one, then I thought, no, that wouldn't be right - she takes that stuff serious." Because of the dream and that mention of the rosary, the next day I gave her a beautiful old rosary. I half expected a scoffing response so I quickly said, "You asked for a rosary - here it is. It's old, and some holy person, long gone, prayed it so much the prayers are imbedded in it. I want you to put this in your purse, and keep it for emergencies. Consider it like one of those fire alarm boxes with the little hammer for breaking the glass in case of emergency. When you are heartsick, take it out and just hold it - the prayers will give you comfort." She smiled and hugged me, much to my dismay. I saw her yesterday and she told me tearfully that her grandmother died. "I'm not a religious person, but I really want to believe there is a heaven and she's there." Then she said, "I'll be holding that rosary at the funeral." Can't wait to see what our sweet Mother Mary does in her life. Please pray for Holly and her family. P.S. Times of intense grief are also times of amazing grace. Lately, when praying for the grieving, such as the families who've suffered loss in the Philippines, I make sure to pray for the conversion of the survivors.
What a wonderful story, Kathy and what a consolation for you personally. Prayers going up. I suppose this forum is my own little means of Evangelisation. I am always touched when I get little messages that it is helping. I wish I could do more, I wish I could change the whole world, beginning with myself. But it everyone did a little.... If we don't love poor sinners then how can we say we love God?
That's right. And poor sinners are a messy lot! But every fisherman knows, fish aren't cleaned till after their caught. We catch them, Jesus cleans them! And most often we don't even know our part in it. So it's good to see a little fruit from time to time...
Yes we need a little light from time to time, otherwise how could we go on? The Cure of Ars used to say he always knew when a great sinner was coming because the devil would act up and cause him grief. I think that is true with sinners too for us, that there is a price to pay for conversion. I noticed this a little lately on the forum, there has been a little bit of trouble and yet, paradoxcally the viewing figures have shot up to there highest ever. So I think there's a kind of economy of grace, so that although they appear illogical there really is a logic to all that happens going on underneath everything. So if someone starts to convert someone somewhere is praying for them....
