Friday, October 9, 2015

St. Francis Watches Over Our Family

    Okay, on to St. Francis.  I just find it remarkable how often this happened and in such different places and with different members of our family.  It happened again tonight.
    The first time was with Belinda and Danielle.  Belinda and I dropped Danielle off at a little coffee shop.  It had knick-knacks, paintings, jewelry, coffee (of course), refrigerator magnets, clothing items, etc.  While waiting for my coffee and breakfast, I walked over to see what the ladies were looking at and we stopped right in front of St. Francis, a statuette of him.  There were some other religious items, too, but of course I noticed him right away, and I mentioned once again that he is my mother’s favorite saint. 
    The second time I was alone.  I went to church in Santa Fe.  I do not remember the church’s name, so I’ll have to research it later.  Belinda and I were there for my technology training, and Belinda was going to pick up James at the airport in Albuquerque the next day, too.  I googled the church, and I got directions, and it worked out that it was in the evening.  I had just enough time to...

iron an outfit and go.  It was near downtown.  I could have parked anywhere.  I could have entered anywhere.  The church was uniquely designed and built in the shape of a cross.  It had shiny, creaky, lightwood hardwood floors.  It was bright and cheerful with bright white painted walls.  Beautiful!  I also could have sat anywhere, and it wasn’t until near the middle of the mass when I looked up to my right and above me in a deep window frame was another statue of St. Francis.  That was the only one.  Other figures/statues were in other windows, but I happened to be in the pew next to his.
    The third time was with Belinda and James.  We were on our way home after picking up James from the airport and after my training was over.  The eating time and place was an issue.  Our last chance to get a “decent” meal was at Bruno’s in Cuba.  Also, we sent James off after some great green chili at Bruno’s, so it made sense to me to bring him back home with another meal there.

Continued on 9-27-15.

    James and Belinda did not want to stop.  I forced the issue.  They were not hungry.  James even said he wouldn’t eat anything, or at least very little, if we did stop.  I basically was stubborn enough to convince them to stop.  They weren’t happy about it, but they generously chose to love and went along.
    We sat out on the patio.  It wasn’t very crowded.  The hostess sat us near one of the adobe walls and a fountain.  It wasn’t until about halfway through the meal that I noticed St. Francis right next to our table, another unmistakable statue of him.  I mentioned it again this time to the two of them, stating what had happened before at the coffee shop and the church. 
    The fourth time was last night when Belinda and I were driving up here.  On the way to Lakewood for my 30th reunion, I listened to Dr. Wayne Dyer’s Excuses Begone! CDs.  I borrowed them from B’s mom, Jess, after helping move her couch into her garage to have her hardwood floors refinished.  I noticed the CDs and the book on her guest bed.  They really helped make the trip go faster, and I loved and agreed with so many of the things he was sharing.  I liked them so much that I shared them with Belinda when we drove to Colorado Springs for Daryl and Katie’s wedding.  We did not, however, listen to them all because Belinda could only take it in with small bites.  Driving up to the cabin this weekend we took another one of those little bites.  I had forgotten until this second listening that he also mentions St. Francis during his talk.  St. Francis did for others through divine intervention.  He let God live through him and was selfless.  It matched what Dr. Wayne was talking about, how we all come from divine beginnings, and we will also eventually return to that origin when we die.  Along the way, we are all better off if we allow God to let us be instruments of His will.
    Anyway, I just think that those are all incredible coincidences.  I felt compelled to write about it.  Maybe God is using me as an instrument now as I write this?
    It’s been a fast and wonderful stay here, but it’s time to clean up and go. 

Until next time…

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