When I sat down to write my testimony about how St. Faustina had helped me through times of suffering I didn’t know where to begin. Suffice it to say that she has been such an inspiration and example to follow in my time of suffering. She has obtained for me the grace to trust, trust, and trust some more. I call on her when I feel that I am being dragged down by the weight of the cross. I see now that it’s true that each experience of suffering strengthens us for the next.
On June 28, 2024, I retired. My husband and I had plans to go to daily Mass together, make time for short trips, matinee movies, walks in the park, etc. That same weekend my husband was in the hospital for heart trouble, and everything went downhill from there. He got weaker and weaker by the day. I retired and became his 24/7 caregiver. At first, I was angry that all our plans had been dismantled. But St. Faustina kept asking me to trust, trust, and trust some more. God had a better plan. It took me a while to accept God’s Will and in time I was even grateful for being home so that I could care for him in his last months. God’s plan began to unfold before my eyes and all I could do is trust, trust, and trust some more. Our Lord’s words to St. Faustina were very soothing, “…understand that the strength by which you bearing sufferings comes from frequent Communions.” (Diary 1487) I went to daily Mass alone and I prayed for my husband. I would have never made it through my day without the Eucharist. It was so painful to see him wasting away.
My elderly father, too was become more and more frail. It caused me more suffering not to be able to see my father who lived in another city because I was unable to leave my husband alone. I loved my husband so much that I did not want him to suffer any longer. St. Faustina taught me to thank God for my daily crossed and that … true love is measured by the thermometer of suffering. (Diary 342) My husband passed on January 30. I had never felt such a heart ache. I had to pack up all my things to leave our home that we loved so much. Still, I did as St. Faustina told me, trust, trust and trust some more. I gave away my husband’s clothes to the homeless because I knew that is what he would have wanted me to do. I gave away all of our furniture to needy families so I could move back to my home town. My ninety-year-old father needed to be cared for so I moved in with him until I could figure out what I would do next. All I had left was my clothes, boxes of books and my computer. Two weeks later my father had a bad fall that required surgery. His weak body could not fight back from the multiple complications from the surgery and he passed away as well.
Funny how the Lord asked me to trust as I gave away all my belongings leaving me empty-handed, only to return everything to me. My siblings told me dad’s home was now mine. The Lord returned everything to me. Of course, these are just material things but the Lord knows we need them, too. Yes, God’s plan is much better than mine. His role as my Heavenly Father is to make sure that I have everything I need, and mine is to trust, trust and trust some more.
Sylvia, volunteer of “Faustinum”, USA
