My grandma used to say three Hail Marys whenever she lost something of value. That little act of faith has brought about many little miracles, including once when the lost object fell onto a dining room table seemingly out of thin air.
Last Friday, my wife was almost inconsolable over the loss of her pinky ring given her by her grandmother twenty years ago. She’d worn the tiny ring every day of her life. It was very tight, even on her most feminine, graceful finger. When she told me how much it meant to her, I offered my grandmother’s little prayer for return of the ring. Angela was convinced that she’d never see it again.
Last night, though, her kids returned from a weekend with their father. Our littlest one had the ring. He found it in a bedroom at his father’s house.
There are many physical explanations for how the ring got there–it might have fallen off when she was packing his bags for the weekend, then fell out when took fresh clothes. The real miracle is that he noticed such a tiny ring on a floor, and that he recognized it. He’s a seven-year-old boy, after all.
I thanked the Blessed Mother profusely for her intercession, and I thanked God for the little miracle He performed. I am most humble, though, because on Saturday, I doubted the ring’s return. But this little miracle served a purpose: it reminded me that we need to put our faith in God and never doubt. Faith can move a mountain, but doubt brings everything to a screeching hault. Thank God He ignored my doubt and taught me this lesson. I hope I earn the graces to give up my doubt and to trust in God completely. After all, if He will work a miracle over such a tiny matter, imagine how willingly He will help us in our larger problems.