September 10, 2007

Dear Father,

This story actually has two parts. I have a friend who is a convert to Catholicism. She went through a series of heartbreaking situations during the last few years. And just recently, she lost her long-time job. She couldn't find another job as good as the one she lost.

And then, her dear sweet mother, who suffered from Alzheimer's, passed away. She felt extremely defeated by these events.

I gave her one of our Blessed Lady's Miraculous Medals. And I enrolled her in our Lady's Association. I hoped that with our Lady's intercessory prayers on her behalf, and the hope and grace of God, things would improve for her in some way, somehow. She began wearing our Lady's Miraculous Medal around her neck right after I gave it to her.

Both of us were stunned and amazed when things began improving for her almost immediately-by the end of the week she had a brand new job, even better for her than the one she had lost.

However, the part which affected me directly was this-that by my doing those things for her, then through my witnessing God doing such a wonderful thing for her in that manner, it helped to propel me up, and over, what was left of my long-standing fear of converting to Catholicism!

I have felt the Lord leading me in the direction of the (his) Catholic Church for literally decades, but my terribly intense fear of leaving Protestantism behind was extremely overwhelming.

Yet the Lord had steadily chipped away at that fear during all these years-until finally, because of what he did for my friend, through our Lady's intercessory promises connected to her Miraculous Medal, he was able to help me overcome the last vestiges of that fear. It was like being set free.