The Little Flower

I have been thinking a lot about St. Therese of Lisieux lately. Probably because her parents have just been beatified. I have been devoted to the Little Flower for years. My spiritual director often felt that St. Therese's close relationship with her father had a lot to do with my devotion. She had the kind of father I had always wanted. He was so loving and protective and taught her about a God of great tenderness and mercy. And St. Therese taught me.
St. Therese said she was called to do good on earth while in heaven and would shower down roses upon the earth. I have often been a recipient of those roses. One particular example stands out in my mind.
We had experienced our first hurricane. We had been evacuated from our mobile home and had no idea if it had made it through the storm or not. Naturally I had prayed to God and also pleaded to St. Therese to intercede for us and protect my family and our home.
The day after the hurricane hit, my husband and my stepson went to check on our house. When my husband came back, he had a strange smile on his face. He told me that our house had survived with very little damage. But that was not the amazing thing.
In case I needed proof that everything was okay, he pulled from behind his back ... you guessed it ... a rose. My husband had found it, in the middle of our flooded garden - alive and beautiful among the devastated plants and flowers - one single rose.
I knew we were going to be OK.