Blessed Mother, Help me! June 9, 2021
At coffee after Mass today I was blessed to hear two stories of God’s Providence in the life of my friend, Mary. Her refrain in times of trial has been “Blessed Mother, help me!” And indeed help arrived in most unexpected ways!
Story one goes back to the days of driving the kids to their hockey games. It was a cold blustery winter night in Minnesota, and Mary arrived in the parking lot with the kids and all their gear to attend a game. Hurrying to unload all the gear and get in out of the cold, she locked the car and they headed inside. After the game, on returning to the now almost empty parking lot, she looked in her purse for the car keys and couldn’t find them, only to discover that she had left the car locked and running with the keys still inside! What to do?!!!
Her first response was “Blessed Mother, help me!” This was before cell phones, so no easy way to call for earthly help 🙂 Just at this moment, a car almost identical to her own pulled up to park alongside of her, although there were many other empty spots in the lot. As the driver was getting out, her friend suggested she ask the driver if he might try his key in her own car to see if it would work. And behold! It did! He opened her door with his key, they all piled in and gratefully found their way home that night ~ what are the odds of a car pulling up just at that moment, with a key that was able to unlock her own car? Thank you, Blessed Mother, for hearing and answering, and so quickly!
Story two took place at their cabin on Borden Lake. Mary’s niece had dropped them off on her way farther North, so they had no car of their own with them. The radio was issuing tornado warnings, and Mary was aware of the wind getting stronger until it sounded like a freight train, and the sky had turned a scary green. Where to go? There was no basement at the cabin, and Mary was thinking of crawling under the mattress, when again she lifted her heart and called out “Blessed Mother, help me!” She looked out the window, and saw what looked like a water spout traveling across in front of the cabin, followed by a second, and then a third one, after which the sun came out and the storm passed.
As they were breathing a sigh of relief, a neighbor appeared and was relieved to find that they were all ok. He lived across on the other side of the lake, and had watched as three tornado spouts had traveled directly toward my friend’s cabin. There was an island between his cabin and theirs, so he had been unable to actually see their cabin, and he was afraid of what he might find. What a relief to find them all safe and sound!
Checking the damage afterwards, it was discovered that the island itself had been heavily damaged by the tornadoes, and the nearby town of Garrison was almost leveled. Yet Mary had been able to look outside the cabin window and see all three spouts pass by right in front of her without any harm being done! Thank you again, Blessed Mother!
Remember O Most Gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it said, that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thy intercession, was left unaided…. May my friend Mary’s stories be an inspiration and encouragement for all of us to call on the Blessed Mother for help, with confidence in the mighty power of her intercession for her children who trust in her love and care!
Spiritual Sun Pennies 