Page 21 - Built For God Handbook (Bible Verses) - The Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching - The New Evangelization - Pope John Paul II

xix

Before they parted ways, Richard asked if Keith had any
final questions. Caught off guard, Keith said no. They said their
goodbyes, and Keith went home, hoping to see Richard the next
day. However, when Keith visited their usual meeting spot across
from the church, Richard was nowhere to be found. Keith inquired
about Richard’s whereabouts with his friend, only to be told he
didn’t know anyone by that name. Keith spent the next two weeks
searching for Richard day and night, but he had disappeared
without a trace.

After his encounter with Richard, Keith felt the need for a
designated place to pray, inspired by Richard’s constant reminders
to pray daily. He set up an altar in his living room and began his
daily prayer. During one of his prayers, Keith asked God to reveal
His presence by keeping all the votive candles burning whenever
he prayed. For six months, Keith prayed for an hour each day, and
during this time, he noticed that the candles he lit continued to burn
brightly, even when they had no wax left, leaving only the wick.
Although his mother innocently disposed of the votive candles
during one of her visits, Keith retrieved them from the trash. She
continued to throw them away whenever she visited, so Keith
decided to hide them in a storage box. God asked Keith to keep
this miraculous occurrence a secret for a year, so he told no one,
not even his wife. Keith saw this experience as confirmation that
God was with him and that he was on the right path to fulfilling the
promise God had given him.