The Flowers of Surrender

As some of you know St. Therese’s Feast day is today. St. Therese, known as the Little Flower was known for a simple life lived with great love and her promise to “spend heaven doing good on earth” and “let fall a shower of roses”. I’ve always had an interesting relationship with her and her spirituality. And I know why, because her spirituality involves being overlooked and humble and misunderstood and taking it for the love of God. My pride has yet to get to a place where I want to be like that. And I know I have to be the saint I’m called to be, not St. Therese but there was something that made me want to take her up again, at this time as a prayer partner and intercessor and I didn’t even know exactly why, but she did and here is the story so far.

I began praying her novena not knowing that it overlapped significantly with the novena being prayed right now and which concludes today. I finished my prayers a few days ago, Thursday I think and I didn’t feel like any of my questions were answered and there wasn’t even the consolation of a rose. Which skeptics might laugh at and say what superstition! But really I can’t help it if roses do appear to people in really strange, miraculous ways, which they do. Anyways, roses really are not the point. My heart wanted to know what God wanted! And there was no answer.

To be more specific I applied to a Disney training program… again and I’ve had a few other potential jobs that I have to think about pursuing or not. As for Disney they told all the applicants that we would know by Oct 1st, which is St. Therese’s feast day –today. The coincidence I learned just moments ago from a young man who also applied to the training program and had somehow seen that I retweeted some information about the application. He found out I was Catholic, and I just found an encouraging message in my inbox from him. He mentioned St. Therese, her feast day and how he would pray for both of us before bed. How amazing is that?

So today there might be an acceptance or not. And there is a job interview which might lead to something or not. But whatever does happen I pray I will be able to surrender my dreams at the foot of the cross and love Jesus more than those dreams. St. Therese pray for us, that we might love God in the tender way that you do.

Abandonment to God. I fear only one thing—to keep my own will; take it, my God, for I choose all that You choose.

The only happiness here below is to strive to be always content with what Jesus gives us.

I can demand nothing with fervor, except the perfect accomplishment of God’s will in my soul.

O my Beloved, I offer myself to You, that You may perfectly accomplish in me Your holy designs, and I will not allow anything created to be an

obstacle in their path. -St. Therese

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Fabiola Garza likes to draw! Follow her blog @ Catholic Colors