Dear Spirit Daily:

Before I begin my Christmas story, I want to tell you that I thoroughly enjoy your website and your books. They have really become a form of daily spiritual food for me. Thank you. I'd like to say that after a crisis, blessings are doubled.

 

My story begins:

 

I have a lovely neighbor Edith who has a gift for leaving things a little better off than when she starts with them.  She happens to be a real animal lover who took care of our guinea pig while we were on vacation.  When we returned, our guinea pig had a brand newly renovated "bachelor pad" with a cushy towel for a bed and padded walls in his cage.

After the death of her beloved dog Mitzie, her family gave her a beautiful little powder blue parakeet to keep her company.  After 9 months, she had the little bird trained to sit on her shoulder and smother her with kisses.  There was no mistake that this was truly a love affair. Recently, however, through a chain of unfortunate events in her life, Edith lost the Christmas spirit.

Just 2 weeks ago on a bitterly damp December afternoon, Edith was shaking out her area rug by the front stoop, door open, forgetting she had the bird perched outside its cage.  The parakeet suddenly tried to fly onto her shoulder.  Edith became alarmed, not realizing it was the bird, and jolted in surprise.  The bird became frightened and flew into the sky.  She tried desperately to call it back, but to no avail.  She recruited a female passer-by who tried to help her search for the bird.  A half an hour later, a neighbor suggested that she put the cage outside with food hoping the bird may see it and fly in.  As soon as Edith set it outside, a yellow parakeet flew in!  Everyone was amazed; yet Edith could not fully rejoice because she worried about her own little bird lost out in the cold.

After a lengthy search, she rang my front door.  I stepped out, knowing something was wrong by the expression on her face.  She relayed to me the bittersweet story.  As she was talking, I was strongly lured to look to my immediate left and my immediate right.  As I did, I saw one single beautiful yellow rose in bloom on a bush in the left hand neighbor's yard and a single deep pink rose in bloom directly to the right in the yard of my other neighbor.  I had a sudden urge to pray to St. Terese the Little Flower.  I assured Edith she would find her bird, gave her a hug, and went in side.  I proceeded to pray with all my heart almost feeling that this would be a reality. 

Two days later, Edith comes by almost breathless with joy.  She was full of thanksgiving as she relayed the rest of the story.  Somehow that day, the woman passer-by who tried initially to help her find the bird, spotted a notice on the bulletin board of the local grocery stating that a blue parakeet was found and that the owner should contact them immediately.  She quickly left to find Edith. She was not sure where Edith lived as she approached our section of the neighborhood. My husband was working out in our front yard at the time and overheard this woman ask a neighbor if he knew where the woman was who lost her bird.  My husband, hearing this, proceeded to show her Edith's house around the corner.  Not only did Edith call the people who found her bird, but she found out they were her friends from the local parish!  I knew them as well, since we all attended the same parish, often seeing each other at daily Mass.

Edith regained her Christmas spirit and more, for now she has double the blessings: two birds for the crisis of one!  I told her how I prayed to St. Therese, and she suddenly turned white, for apparently that was her confirmation name!  

Indeed, God needed to find a special home for the lost yellow bird in the cold and began a special plan to do it.  Not only should this remind us that apparent tragedies can actually turn out to be blessings, but also that God does look after the birds of the air, and therefore, promises even more so to keep us in His care.  I am convinced He definitely has every hair on our heads counted!