Guardian angels give ordinary directions too!

I was on my way back from mass in Helsinki back to my hotel (which is not in Helsinki but in a nearby town accessible by buses) in the freezing cold winter here and when I arrived to my transfer bus stop (on the highway in the darkness of 8pm Finland) was when I noticed that my bus was not due to arrive for another 1.5 hrs. This was the point where I complained to God and my guardian angels saying 'I have just done a good thing here, can't you help me out to get back to my hotel?'. It wasn't an easy thing to get to mass in the first place! It was terribly inconvenient, but I did it and I thought I did this for God! See how good I am, help me out here.

Then it got real. Nope I didn't do it for God. I did it for me because I need mass. God doesn't need mass. He's perfect. He doesn't need my prayers. He doesn't need me to worship him. I do. I need to be surrounded by other sinners just like me who are reaching for him. I need to see their faith. I need to reach out to him in prayer. I need prayer, I need His presence more than I need air. So if I examine it completely, I need Him way more than he needs my measly prayers.

One thing I love about going to international english masses is that it feels very apostolic. It was crowded with people from all over, people who are trying their best, people who don't really know 'is this for real?' and people who have a full realization that there is only one God, and he became man and died for me and this same God invites me, who nailed him to the cross with my sins to eat at his table. This is a God of generosity, a God of love and a God who loves me, crankiness and all so my response should be joy! That's it! Joy for me this lenten season. How's that for lent?

So to finish my frozen story. There I was at the bus stop with my frozen apendages thinking a taxi sure would be good right about now. So I turned around, walked back into town, hoping to find a hotel. Instead I found a gas station and no sooner do I see the gas station then I see a taxi for hire pull in.

Thanks for the taxi guys! It didn't need to be a Mercedes but I did get the message. Our God is a generous God. Thanks be to God!

Dear Guardian Angel,

You are not funny! I know you are highly amused and given all the trouble I put you through on a routine basis I probably deserve it. Really though, you are not funny and quit laughing. I know you're probably sniggering. Quit it!

Love,

Your sweet little heathen

"Huh", you wonder. Well let me assure you, my guardian angel is NOT funny. Last night I specifically told him, "please get me up on time for my early morning adoration hour". I refused to set my alarm last night. Sometimes I just depend on him. He has yet to let me down when I rely on his angelic alarm clock. So I was surprised when I awoke at 2 am and I let him know that it was way too early. I then drifted back to sleep. When I awoke at 15 after the hour and realized I was 15 minutes late for my adoration hour, I about flipped. Now in reality, I only had about 1 working synapse and was stumbling though the house looking for my prayer book and my beads. I couldn't find my rosary beads. Well I found about 15 sets of beads but none were the ones I was looking for, so when I finally found them I dashed out the door a full 1/2 hour late for my hour. When I arrived at the chapel, the person before me was still there, thankfully. Sometimes adorers fill in and stay a bit longer with Jesus until the next adorer arrives. So I dashed in and apologized profusely to him, explaining how sorry I was that I was so late. He turns to me with this quizzical look and says "Late? You're a full 1/2 hour early."

So I just turned to Jesus, shook my head and smiled. Which is funny because often times that's what he does to me. I'm sure he was amused too. Incidentally, today was the feast day of Guardian angels but not celebrated because it fell on a Sunday and just about no feast day trumps Sunday's, not even the Mother of God. However my guardian angel thought he'd have a little fun on his day. Live it up buddy! I hope you enjoyed it. Ornery little angel!