August 23, 2010
St. Rose of LimaDear Family of Mary!"Dear children! Today also I am calling you to prayer. You know, dear children, that God grants special graces in prayer. Therefore, seek and pray in order that you may be able to comprehend all that I am giving here. I call you, dear children, to prayer with the heart. You know that without prayer you cannot comprehend all that God is planning through each one of you. Therefore, pray! I desire that through each one of you God's plan may be fulfilled, that all which God has planted in your heart may keep on growing. So pray that God's blessing may protect each one of you from all the evil that is threatening you. I bless you, dear children. Thank you for having responded to my call." (April 25, 1987) "God grants special graces in prayer."
The next day I had a meeting with Jim O in my living room. At the end of our meeting, just as he was about to leave, he said, 'Denis could you use a piece of glass?' Back in those days on my poor salary as a teacher with a lot of kids, I would take anything anyone would give me. When I thought of a piece of glass, I imagined I could cut it up for storm windows, so I said, 'Sure.' Jim said, 'Ok, I will tell my secretary that someone wants that piece of glass.'
When he got back to his office, he told her. She called home, and as the phone rang, her husband had a hammer in his hand, ready to smash up a huge picture window that they had taken out of their house for remodeling. It was so big no one wanted it. He decided to drop the hammer and answer the phone. She told him someone wanted it. I was given the address and was told the glass would be found leaning against the house. That Saturday, my eldest son and I went in our old '56 Ford Pickup to get it. When we got there I was shocked to see that it was a big picture window. I had to find three men in the neighborhood who would help me lift it into my truck, it was so heavy. It stuck way out the back. When we got home, my neighbors helped me lean it up against the house. During this time I had contracted with a siding company to put new siding on our house. Every time I would call the company they would assure me that we were next on their list. But they never came. One day in February, I heard the words as I prayed, 'Put the picture window in this Saturday.' Not knowing how, I phoned my neighbor and asked him if he had a half hour to help me with a little project on Saturday. I said, 'Bring your saw!' When Saturday came, there was a blizzard. I hung plastic from the inside ceiling of the dining room and started cutting out the wall. We had to cut two feet bigger than the window all the way around, put in a header, and frame it in. It was a big job, but thanks to my neighbor's generosity, we got it in! Two days later, Monday, the siding company showed up. They started siding over the mess I had made of the wall. Only then did I realize that if I had not put the window in that Saturday, I would never have been able to install it, because of the new siding. That window has been a great blessing to our family over the years. It opens our house up to the beautiful yard that the Lord had given us, and is an endless source of peace and contentment. My wife was right, that I couldn't take forever with my 'romantic' projects, so I had to give the Lord a deadline. But I was right, that window was a good idea! I guess God thought so too!" Timing is everything! When Denis gave the Lord a deadline, the Lord listened. And when the Lord gave Denis a deadline, he listened too! When we have a living relationship with the Lord, anything can happen! Our Lady is right, "You know that without prayer you cannot comprehend all that God is planning through each one of you." God's plans and our plans can come together in a beautiful way if we pray! In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
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