My Special Rosary Story

I am going to challenge many to read my post fully, even though someone commented on another site, “Too long to read”. Please don’t fall into that thinking. Read what Mother Mary can do for anyone no matter your faith and do in real time.

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I am now crowding 88 yrs.

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When I was 29, full of ambition and verve and ready to take on challenges, my new business fell victim to a worldwide shortage of a crucial material. This became a situation that knocked me down lower than my feet - I was suddenly completely broke, having to sell our home, furnishings and car to attempt to satisfy some of so many of my friends who had invested into my venture.

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I had my beloved wife, a veritable rock, at my side. In a small village in Canada, we ran across one another when we were 12 years of age. For some inexplicable reason, we became close friends and progressed one step at a time to age 21 to get married, and 61 years later my soul mate died, standing up in our kitchen by the kitchen counter, and in my arms.

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Sorry, but prelude is always the key to understanding things.

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This business disaster hit me, my wife and three children so unexpectedly and I was totally floored. My main source of income was from being an international dairy cattle exporter from Eastern Canada and the northern states of the US, but because it wasn't consistent work, I couldn't count on it for income to cover even my basic expenses. I was at a virtual dead-end.

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As a Catholic all of my life, when all else failed, I turned to God. I went to my church about two miles away at 6 in the morning, since the church in those days was open all the time. With no one in there, I sat midway in the pews and told my woes to our Mother Mary, as if she did not already know why I was there. I poured my heart out, asking for help, for some guidance.  Not expecting any answer to just a guy like me, I went home. The next morning, I went back to church again and saw 2 or 3 people seated in the very last pew, at the back of the church.

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Again, in the midst of tears, I went up midway in the pews. I started praying and hoping. Suddenly, from behind me, a hand comes over my shoulder and I heard, “She wants you to have this”.  Taking me off guard, I did not immediately turn around, but as soon as I did, there was no one in the church but me.

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What that hand had given me was a rosary, and not just any rosary, but one that I qualify as for men, colored green and black. Still in shock from everything going on, I did not capture all that was happening or about to happen. That in itself, receiving the rosary was an incredible event, especially when I did not see anyone doing it.  BUT consider the following events.  If you ever thought that prayers were never answered, the ensuing events should satisfy any critics’ thinking. That was Step #1 in a series of rapidly happening events.

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Now for Step # 2.  Within a half hour of returning home, a good young Mexican friend of mine who I knew from exporting dairy cattle to Mexico, and one whom I had not heard from in over two years, called me on the phone. He asked how everything was going, and, as a friend, I told him the truth.  Without a second thought, he said, “Emile, bring Shirley and your children and head down here right now. We will find a way to get you back into your exporting.” Again, friends, things like that can happen and it takes reflection later on to realize what some may call a coincidence is actually an intervention. I have never believed in coincidences, but rather saw them as generated from on high, always with a purpose. I knew this young friend of mine and was aware that he would not propose this move without knowing he could truly help me do it. Stop and think - just how come he should call me after two years and at the exact time of need?

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Step #3. Please take note on how things were just falling into place, no thanks to any efforts of my own, other than praying. The next day, Shirley’s parents truly surprised us. They had purchased a brand-new Dodge car, one with a big motor, for us from a car dealer friend of theirs. This gift was completely unexpected.

Step #4. We packed everyone into the car and placed whatever luggage my wife could put together virtually in minutes. And would you believe it, this car had a built-in luggage rack on the roof. Think about that - a family of 5 leaving with no return date, with all their personal items packed into a few suitcases, and somehow an insignificant thing like a luggage rack became available.  Coincidence ???

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We drove, everyone in tears leaving our home, Shirley's parents and my kids' beloved grandparents. I had no idea where we would end up, nor what I could do to earn income for our needs. In hindsight, I can now see the guiding hand of Mary all the way to our destination and beyond.

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We arrived in Laredo, Texas, ready to enter Mexico.  Sadly, some border officials would often try to supplement their very meager pay by seeing how much they could bribe visitors. The official we encountered could see it would not be difficult with us, as he explained that he would have to unload and examine each piece of luggage, a process that could take hours. Thankfully, my young friend was really savvy about the culture and ways of Mexico, which was not at all what we were used to.  He had driven to the border to meet and help us. He'd already made arrangements with one inspector, no doubt paying him well, to just put a big white chalk check mark on the most obvious piece of luggage on our roof rack.  This provided us with the clearance to proceed. There was a second inspection terminal a few miles later, and once more our friend had arrangements made and a second check mark suddenly graced our luggage. We were free to go.

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Now comes Step #5. I warned you this might be long, but you will see what happened next. As we left the second inspection site, my friend asked me to follow him in my car, on the way to our new home a few hours away.  We arrived at a crossroads of two major highways, just at dusk.  He crossed into the median between the two highways and then proceeded to wait for us on the shoulder of the road on the other side which we were to take. As we crossed the first highway and stopped in the median to be sure it was clear to proceed, a small low-set car pulled in next to us on our right. I was about to cross the traffic to the shoulder where my friend was waiting. As I stepped on the accelerator, I heard a voice so so clearly that I will never forget the following words: "DON'T GO. DON'T GO!"  Why I put the brake on and stopped, I still cannot explain. The small car next to me began to cross the highway, thinking it was safe for him, even though he had no way of seeing traffic coming from my left. I never saw anything coming. Suddenly, he accelerated and drove directly underneath a big semi flatbed trailer that was going by. I will never forget seeing the whole roof of that little car just peel right off and certainly decapitate everyone inside the car. In a few moments, I crossed the median, shaking Iike heck, and I stopped to see if there was any help to give. There wasn't. My friend told me that arriving policemen might try to extort me, refusing to release us from the scene unless a bribe was paid. We drove away and we all arrived safe and sound to a beautiful marble-floored home, with a maid and a cook.  You still don’t believe that our Holy Mother Mary had something to do with the sequence of all of these steps ??????

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I'll stop here but want all to know that my mysterious rosary was in my pocket and has remained on me ever since. Many more things happened, and when I look back, I wonder why I took so long to recognize why things happened for our good. My wife, a strong believer in her Patroness Mary all her life, certainly realized the reason for these good happenings, before my obviously feeble mind did. I just know that her belief and faith is what carried us through. 

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Thanks for listening to my story, which could not have been said in two paragraphs