My house in Vermont is going on the market! I already talked to D., former coworker and real estate agent, about what to realistically expect. She did a walk-through and thinks I could get $365,000 easily.
Calculations are rattling through my mind. That’s enough to pay off the rest of the old mortgage, buy the new house in Steubenville outright, with cash, and have about $100,000 left over for my retirement. Considering that I have almost nothing saved for my “Golden Years,” this feels amazing.
There’s no way I could get this kind of money any other way—unless I want to play the lottery, which really is a fool’s game and just a way to throw your money out the window.
I almost regret telling K. so early on that I’m selling; he’s practically been begging me to sell him the house. He loves this place so much. No wonder; he put a lot of work into it over the years we were married. The pine wood plank floor, the graveled patio, the raised flowerbeds in the back and the beautiful trellis, the wishing well in the front, the split-rail fence… that was all him.
I’d sell him the house in a heartbeat if he could only come up with the money. As it is, he unfortunately doesn’t qualify for that large of a loan… and I need the full amount, or my retirement goes bye-bye. I feel bad because he’s been frantically trying to scrape the money together. To me, it’s just a house. To him, it’s everything.
***
Holy Mother, you are the best! It was only in March that I consecrated A. to you without his consent or knowledge. I’m so glad I watched that YouTube video by Fr. Chad Ripperger where he said that parents have power over their children. They can bless them (or curse them), and they can consecrate them. So when I did my own Marian consecration (the third one now), I just added A. to the prayer.
Almost immediately, I could see you start to work on him, Mother. Well, that’s actually not 100% correct because I’ve been praying Rosaries for him for more than a year. But the consecration was something like a turbo booster because things really started speeding up after that. I’d always tried to make him read spiritual books, but he’d stubbornly refused. But suddenly, he asked me for a copy of C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity, one of my favorite books—a book that has converted many people. So I guess you and Mr. Lewis worked hand in hand on this one, Holy Mother.
I’ve watched you transform him in the past few months—little by little becoming more receptive to the faith, eager to watch another episode of The Chosen, curiously asking questions or wanting to discuss Church teaching. For months now, I’ve been watching the small but significant changes in him. He’s been getting ready at his own pace, but so much faster than I could have ever imagined. I can’t tell you how elated I am.
Today, he finally got pushed over the threshold. After his long-awaited, two-and-a-half-hour (!) meeting with Father J. that I’d talked him into, he comes home in a state of deep contemplation. God bless this priest in whom the Holy Spirit works so strongly! He’s been such a (literal) Godsend for me and my family.
A. says, “Mom, I think I really have to reconsider everything now, but I need a while to wrap my head around this, so don’t bombard me with questions and suggestions like you usually do.”
I suppress my urge to bombard him (he knows me so well). A few hours later, he’s ready to talk, as I knew he would be. He really wants to get closer to God but is still unsure how to go about it. It’ll all come in time.
I feel deliriously happy. After so many months of worrying about A’s immortal soul (and those of many other people who aren’t believers), the relief is incredible. I’ve implored you many times, Holy Mother, to never let him go to Hell, no matter what—but you’ve done even better. He’s one of us again.
I’m so looking forward to watching A.’s faith journey. Thank you, VatiGod, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and thanks to our spiritual Mom who’s taking such good care of us.