REMEMBER Series // Finding an Unlikely Friend

Welcome to our Remember series, where we pause to reflect on how God has proven faithful in the past so to help us place our trust in Him in the present. We look to the future, knowing that God always keeps His promise and that He always makes a way. We invite you to pray with us, to write your own Psalm (see the end of the post!), and share with others about how God has been faithful in your life.

I felt like a drooping daisy waiting for the sunshine to bring its petals back to life again. It might have been a sunny morning as I walked out the doors after Mass, but my mood was sullen. The night before, I was catching up with a friend over drinks when someone slid into our booth. The young man spent the rest of our time there trying to get my friend’s number. What had started as a light-hearted night out turned into an evening where I felt like the third wheel.

Normally, I might have been able to let something like this slide right off my back. Yet I was already in a vulnerable place of feeling single and lonely. So rather than be excited that my friend had caught someone’s eye, or even enjoy the humor of it all, I turned inward.

Like a daisy at night, I looked down to the world to tell me who I was. If I had kept Jesus’ gaze, my heart would have held steady and firm like the woman of worth in the book of Proverbs (see Proverbs 31). A woman who was clothed with dignity and strength, laughing at the days to come because she had hope and confidence that her future would be full of joy.

In moments of hurt or despair, I have a variety of reactions. The first is usually to tell God that I don’t know why He is letting me go through what I am going through. The second is to plead with Him that my suffering is just a page—or maybe a short chapter—in my story. Then I wait, and I look for Holy Spirit moments. My dad always prayed for “Divine Appointments”, which has become a habit of prayer which I have taken on, and an exciting one at that!

My Divine Appointment came on that droopy-daisy morning. On most mornings after Mass, I would walk out around the same time as a very polished and well-dressed elderly man. As he opened up his car door to drive home, I passed him on the sidewalk on my walk to work. He typically sat a few pews in front of me, and I always admired his deeply peaceful demeanor. I decided that morning would be the day that I would finally introduce myself. From that moment on, my morning commute would never be the same.

I know that the Holy Spirit placed him in my life. On the day we first met, he spoke the words of affirmation that my soul so longed to hear. He continued to be an invaluable source of encouragement to me as we chatted each morning, and there is no doubt that he challenged me to grow more deeply in my friendship and commitment to the Lord.

When he learned of my job, he gave me a book of the Saints trying to find the patron in my field, and telling me about Saint Susanna. On the days it rained, he lent me his umbrella. He made a point to make sure I could see the hierarchy of angels in the Cathedral cupola by offering me his binoculars. What may have been most meaningful, though, is when he invited me to join him in a nine-month first Friday Mass novena, because in His words, “I want to do it before it’s too late.” He made sure I never missed.

Today, I look back on our novena and I am ever so grateful that we were able to share those graces together. It has been over a year since he passed away, but his legacy lives on. I met his family at his funeral, and one of his children invited me to talk over a cup of coffee. It was there that she shared with me more about this dear man’s life, and gifted me with the crucifix that hung in his coffin during the visitation, along with some of his old Rosaries and favorite books. Today, that crucifix hangs in our home and his books are safely kept along with his handwritten notes inside of them. This man was like a grandfather to me, and through God’s grace He allowed me to know him even more deeply after his death.

After my friend passed away, I feared there would never again be anyone like him in my life. It is true, there will never be anyone just like him, but I pray that the Lord will allow me to be a blessing for someone, just like he was a blessing to me. In the meantime, I continue to pray for Divine appointments while keeping my eyes wide open for how His grace will be revealed.

How has the Holy Spirit intervened in your life?

If you would like, we invite you to write your own psalm to help you remember the marvelous works of the Lord. We walk you through it here. Keep this psalm handy. Pray it when life makes it difficult to see Who reigns sovereignly.

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About Susanna Parent

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Susanna Parent is a regular contributor to the BIS blog, speaker and a freelance writer. While a Wisconsin native, she now begins her mornings brewing French press coffee in the home she shares with her husband and children in the Twin Cities. When the sun sets, you’ll find her with friends enjoying a glass of red wine, preferably outside underneath twinkly lights. When not exploring all that the Twin Cities has to offer, she is indulging her wanderlust spirit by brainstorming their family's next new adventure. You can find out more about her here. Read all of Susanna's posts here.