When I look back over the last few years, I see God’s fingerprints everywhere. Each time life felt impossible, He showed up. He carried me through not once, not twice, but three times in ways that I could only describe as miraculous.
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle” –Albert Einstein
In my post From Homeless to Hope, I shared what happened when my second miracle unfolded — finding a good place to live in the nick of time. This next story begins right where the last one ended.
During this period, I was amping up my prayer life and reading more scripture. I believe God was drawing me closer, tossing me “bones” along the way to keep me focused on Him for strength and direction. Gosh knows I needed Him more than ever.
I had moved into small ranch, and it turned out to be a very good fit for us. My family enjoyed this home despite its 1970s quirks – like windows that wouldn’t open, no screens, everything was slightly off center, and small things like that.
I set up my home office in the corner of the living room, facing a floor to ceiling wall of windows – a wonderful feature that brought nature right to my eyes.
We had been living there for two years, and the holidays were approaching. My parents lived the snowbird life with a place in Florida, and a lake house in Vermont, and would plan to stay at my home to go to doctor appointments, family events, and transition between the seasons.
It was early November, and they let me know they’d be closing up the Vermont and coming down to stay with me through the holidays. I always looked forward to this because my Mom and I would decorate and carry on holiday traditions we had growing up.
One Sunday afternoon, I heard a knock. On the other side was my landlord’s wife — the first time I had ever met her. Up until then, I had only interacted with her husband, usually by text or phone.
They lived across the street in a large historic lakefront home and it had been for sale for some time. When they put the house on the market, the landlord let me know that they were planning a move to Florida to retire.
As soon as I opened the door, I thought, this can’t be good.
She introduced herself, and I welcomed her in. Without much preamble, she said:
“I came over to tell you that my husband and I decided that instead of moving to Florida, we are going to move back into this house. This was our original home when we moved to this town. “
Taking that in, I said “Ok, I see. What’s your timing on that?”
She replied, “Well, we finally have a buyer for our house.”
“Congratulations, that is great news!” I said, though inside I’m cringing.
She continues, “Yes, it is great news. The buyers are planning major renovations, and would like to get into the house as quickly as possible. That means we would need you to be out by December 1st.”
GULP. Not even 30 days. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. My parents are coming back to live with me. My mind raced.
I said, “That’s a little fast, especially over the holiday season. My parents will be staying here too — is there any way I could have more time?”
She responded, “We are closing on the house December 18th, so the latest I can offer is December 15th. We’ll need a few days to clean before we move in.
Shit. I am screwed.
Taking a deep breath, I said “Ok, well thanks for letting me know. I have no idea how this will work, but what I do know is the Lord will open the right door for me at the right time, and we’ll land where we are supposed to.”
Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong” 1 Corinthians 16:13
Looking surprised, she said, “Oh, that’s great. I thought you might be upset.”
I replied, “Well, it’s your house.”
I walked her to the door, thanked her, and shut it — then immediately started panicking.
How am I going to find a place this time of year, plan a move and get this house packed up? Most available listings are usually 30 days out or more.
I walked right to my bedroom, got down on my knees and prayed:
Lord, help me. How is this all going to work out? I know you always have a good plan for my life, so I am trusting in you. That’s the only way this will ever work because I’m looking at a mountain. You brought me here - where are you taking me next?
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Praying calmed my anxiousness. I called my parents and told them the news. They were disappointed but said they could go to Florida early and not to worry.
A week later, while out to dinner with a friend, I got a text:
“The deal fell through. You can stay through the holidays. Keep in mind that we are still actively trying to sell the house and plan to move into the ranch at some point in January.”
I nearly choked on my drink.
I said to my friend, “You’re not going to believe this…” and read the text out loud.
I was stunned. Then, realizing what had happened, I started repeatedly saying. “Thank you, God. Thank you, God, Thank you, God. Oh my Lord, you are so Good. Thank you, God!
In an instant, the weight lifted off my shoulders. I had breathing room. God had made a chess move. He moves mountains.
I ended up talking with the landlord later in the week, and the reason the deal fell through was the buyers had gotten estimates on the renovations they wanted, and felt it was going to cost too much money to buy and renovate.
As happy as I was for me, I felt a little bad for them, because I knew that was a big set back. The right buyer was necessary for that house.
Then, God put something on my heart: go and purchase a St. Joseph statue and give it to my neighbors. So, I went and purchased a St. Joseph statue that they could bury in their yard for an extra blessing. If you don’t know the tradition, St. Joseph is the patron saint of homes and burying his statue in your yard can help sell a house. Does it really work? Who knows, but I was following my inner prompting from God.
When I gave them the gift, they were very surprised and thankful. I included the instructions on where to bury the statue and the prayer that goes with it.
14What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. - James 2:14-17
I knew I wanted to rent a house vs. an apartment based on my last search two years earlier. I looked plenty of places, but none felt right. One I liked was located next to train tracks….I’ll pass on the sound of a train horn every day. “You’ll stop hearing it” they said…” Mmmhmmm.
I finally found a house I liked, and it was in a great quiet neighborhood, 3 bedrooms, a decent yard, walkable roads, excellent. Schools were not a concern, my son had graduated already but being in this particular town was a plus.
As I spoke with the realtor and started filling out paperwork, reality hit: to secure the rental, I’d need first, last, security, plus a month’s rent up front—$10,000. And the application required a nonrefundable deposit. Suddenly, something in me said STOP. I knew it was the Holy Spirit pressing pause. I asked if I could take the application home and return it later. I needed space to breathe and think.
My thoughts swirled: How can I put up $10,000 just to rent—with nothing to show for it? If I have that kind of money, shouldn’t I be buying? Many of you can probably relate. The housing market was better then, and it’s much worse now. But back then, at least, interest rates were in the 3% range.
I switched gears and called my realtor friend who helped sell my last house She told me to send her some listings and she line up viewings. That Saturday, we set out to see three homes.
The first house I wanted to view was right over the Massachusetts border in New Hampshire. I had not really considered New Hampshire before. The other two houses were in Massachusetts, both of which looked great too.
From the outside, it was a cute little ranch that looked small but was much larger on the inside. It had a full basement with a bedroom and kitchen, which I thought would be great man cave for my son. It had three bedrooms on the first level, which was a good fit for my parents and me.
We went look at the back yard, and when I turned a corner on a large porch, there she was, in all her glory.
A statue of the Blessed Mother Mary. Stunning, radiant, surrounded by snow.
My heart skipped. This is it, I thought. This is my sign.
Even though I leaned toward this house immediately, I still wanted to look at the other houses. I was really excited about one of them, but when I got there, the kitchen was so small, I couldn’t even fit a turkey in the oven. These are the critical measures of an Italian girl.
I went back to the house in New Hampshire for a second look. I brought my son and my parents. We all loved it. I decided to make an offer and after some financing hoops, I bought the house.
We are still living in this house today and it suits us perfectly.
While this miracle isn’t as dramatic as the others I’ve shared, it show how Faith works and how God can move mountains when we leave room for Him.
As Rev Francis Spriago writes in The Catechism Explained: “Faith is a gift from God, since the power to believe can only be attained by the Grace of God.”
Through these three miracles, my faith grew a hundredfold. I now know—in my bones—that with God, everything will work out, even when there seems to be no way. Every setback is an invitation to lean not on ourselves, but on Him.
And so I return to the original scripture I shared in my first Miracle story, that remains an anchor in my heart:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths – Proverbs 3:5-6
Here are some things that you can consider to strengthen your Faith and open the door for miracles.
1. Speak your Faith out loud. Do this especially in the moment of confronting the challenge at hand. Affirm Him. If you have a favorite scripture verse, speak it aloud often. Scripture has a magic to it and when it is spoken, it returns dividends. Put your chips down on God, state it out loud, and don’t second guess it.
"So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it". - Isaiah 55:11
2. Pray often from your heart. Don’t worry about what prayers to say, just talk to him like a friend. At times I find that I repeat myself in prayer, because it is heavy on my mind and there has not been a breakthrough yet. In these times, I will ask for help in seeing my needs through His eyes or a different lens, to get a new perspective. You may find that God will put something on your heart to demonstrate your faith. Do it without question, as simple or ridiculous as it sounds.
3. When we are asking for God’s help in prayer, also take the time to ask what we can do for Him. Is there a way to be a blessing to someone else? It is normal to focus on ourselves during troubled times, but we must step outside ourselves and be of service somehow. Even if that simply means helping someone at the grocery store to reach an item they cannot reach, or assist an elderly person. Much like when raising children, we want them to see that their needs are not the only ones that matter. God sees us the same way.
Sprirago also noted “When God bestows upon a man the gift of faith, He either employs one of the ordinary means of grace, such as preaching, or in some cases, an extraordinary means, such as a miracle.”
This is the truth. My experiences are my testimony.
Keep the Faith, and look for God showing up in your life. I can guarantee when you start looking, you will begin to see Him in everything.
Blessings all, I’ll be praying for you.
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