When my mom isn't invoking the Holy Spirit during her daily routine, she prays to St. Therese of Lisieux whenever things get heavy: "Little Flower, show your power in this hour."St. Therese saw the seasons as reflective of God's love for us. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being herself among all the other flowers in God's garden.
Mom is 84 and not prone to much nonsense. So when she tells me this brings her stress relief and spiritual wisdom, I believe her. Besides, I'll try anything, especially during the holiday season when stress is the order of the day.No matter what, we all experience an entire range of emotions as we muddle our way through life. Sometimes particular feelings are more pronounced than others. Sure, one tries to be prepared, but mostly we try to take things as they come, deal with them as well as we can, then just plant the seeds of our best intentions and watch them grow (or not) in God's garden.The death last week of Nogalian Ramon Insunza dealt many of us who knew him a crushing blow to the heart. Many came to know him during his years of dedication to the local youth soccer group. Or maybe he was the man folks called for their pest-control service.Once I allowed myself to grieve and reflect I consoled myself, thinking maybe God needed someone to fumigate his garden, or a coach for AYSO (Angel Youth Soccer Organization), or simply an unassuming kind-hearted man he knew would listen to Him whenever He needed to unload.Ramon's friend, Frank Martinez said, "He would coach, referee and run the league not only on game day but daily volunteering for over 20 years - no pay, some thanks, but not enough. He took criticism in stride and his favorite word was, "Gracias."Like Martinez said, his family should take comfort and be "very proud for sharing him with the rest of us."If my mom is right, St Therese and the Holy Spirit will help them resign themselves and heal from their painful loss.
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