This is a true to life account of Ed an entrepreneur, on the fulfillment of the First Promise "I will give them all the graces necessary for their state of life" and the Fifth Promise "I will bestow abundant blessing upon all their undertakings"; both Sacred Promises which were lovingly granted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus.There is great wisdom in the saying "While the sun shines, it is wise to save up for the rainy days." For 20 grateful business years, with the generous blessings of the Sacred Heart, I've managed to gradually save and acquire by installment purchase, some real property assets I was preparing for the eventual rainy days. Little did I realize that our business couldn't have made it that far without the Sacred Heart of Jesus looking after us and bestowing His abundant blessings on our undertakings.
However, since 2004 our professional video post-production business was constantly losing and on its irreversible steady decline. The losses that were incurred in our business not only wiped away our investments, I was already borrowing off heavily from my three credit cards to desperately keep the business afloat to save us from unemployment.
Sadly and involuntarily in January 2006, we had to stop operations. At first, I couldn't believe the fact that I suddenly became part of the unemployed work force. Unemployed and cash strapped, I had extreme difficulty finding substitute employment to sustain our daily personal necessities.
Worse, I had monthly interest bearing credit card bills amounting to $25,000 and had a trail of personal liabilities amounting to $20,000 that needed to be paid soon. This is probably the darkest period in my life where with a multitude of financial problems and with no luck in finding related employment, feelings of hopelessness and desperation started to set in.
One night I sat down to assess, evaluate and remedy my financial position and have decided that the only logical solution was to sell a residential real estate asset worth over $130,000 to fully liquidate all my immediate liabilities and start me of anew with whatever remaining amount it may afford me.
As I soon found out that it was easier said than done, since I've been selling this particular asset since 2004 with no seller's luck at all. I've tried just about anything to make the sale happen, from consistent publication and massive internet classified advertising to availing the services of professional real estate agents.
So it really came as a surprise to me, that it was quite difficult to sell it, despite the fact that it was a prime property situated in the premiere financial district of the city. Still, I had no option but to persist in my decision to spend my working time to personally sell this asset by myself. Against my human objective judgment, I had to rely solely on my faith that God will not abandon me in my time of distress and great need.
Throughout these prolonged years of financial depression and countless uneasy sleepless nights I only had my unwavering faith in God to rely on. I had always been actively praying the Novenas to the Sacred Heart of Jesus here at the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart, firm in the faith that the Sacred Heart is always true to His Promises. I must say that these necessary difficulties were instrumental in strengthening my faith and developing my personal interactive relationship with Jesus Christ.
Although, I'm a Catholic by faith, I was more of a passive believer before these trials came into my life. Before, the power of praying was something I would often hear as effective and life changing from others, but I've never experienced its tremendous power in my own life until now.
Aside from my own unanswered prayers, I've also resorted to asking others who are prayer experts in their own right, to pray for my own personal intentions. The humbling experience of asking others to pray for you is an enlightening one since this has taught me to pray for the needs of others before and beyond my own priorities.
It was my experience that whenever I prayed for others, their prayers were immediately granted while mine was left unanswered. At times, I must admit that I was a bit confused and felt that God was sort of playing favorites but with a little enlightenment on the Bible Chapter on the story of Job, I soon realized the great power of the virtues of patience and humility in prayer and faith.
In my active business years, I was a Sunday Church Catholic who only attended Mass as a fulfillment of obligation. But now because of these financial difficulties, I have evolved from attending a single Sunday Mass to double Sunday Masses.
Why the double Masses? I figured that the Sunday Mass is to honor God as part of our weekly obligation, and the second Mass is solely an offering for our personal intentions and prayer requests. I thought that if we were to be entitled to make a request from God, for His favor to grant our prayer petitions, it would be more appropriate to offer a special Mass for this particular purpose.
And did you know that Friday Masses are held in honor of the Sacred Heart here at the National Shrine? Yes during Friday Masses, a special petition to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for your own personal petition is included within the Mass just before the Offertory.
This is truly a very powerful petition in that whatever you ask God in the name of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, it is granted according to your belief. For Jesus have said, "Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened to you. For each one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened."
The miracle each one of us seeks from God is within our own reach. If you believe that God will grant your prayer requests, then it will be done according to your belief. So always pray with a thankful and grateful disposition, acknowledging that God will work things in the best possible way according to His will, time and purpose.
I've been faithful and consistent in my prayers and on December 20, a few days before Christmas, a good friend called me up to inform me that he was buying my "not for sale" smaller property worth $26,000, which he was interested in for some months now and wanted to pay me in cash that very same day.
Immediately, I realized that it was an answered prayer from God granted by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Thank you Jesus and praise be to God Almighty. For the Lord God is true to His words, "Seek ye first His Kingdom and His Righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you."
I'm a living witness who testifies that throughout this difficult period in my life, the Lord God was always watching and taking care of me as He usually does to everyone. I gratefully thank Him not only for the graces and blessing He continuously provide in my daily life but for also the necessary trials and difficulties which have strengthened my faith, hope and love for Him.
With the transaction done, my friend has never been happier in his decision to acquire the greatly improved property at a special price and although the $26,000 was barely sufficient to pay for my credit card obligations, the Lord God has worked financial miracles to help me settle my immediate obligations.
Thank you Sacred Heart of Jesus and praise be to the Almighty Father, for in His great mercy and kindness, the three credit card companies miraculously gave me substantial cash discounts ranging from 30 to 45% for a one-time full settlement. Truly, it is by these unexpected miracles where the Lord ultimately reveals His greatness to those who put Him above all earthly priorities.
Today 20 January 2007, marks the first month anniversary of my great miracle from God. And so I say this to you with great conviction, nothing on earth is more important than God, not even our very own life. For Jesus has said in Mark 8:35, "For whoever will save his life will lose it; but whoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, he shall save it."
And with Jesus Christ in your life to constantly guide and watch over you, there can never be a storm that can batter your resolve to see the sun shining back in your eternal life. If you want to live a purposeful and meaningful life, decide to let go and let God into your life. Thank you Sacred Heart of Jesus and for your Sacred Promises, as I will always put my trust, faith and hope in You.
