ACIM Bookstore: St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, is the most famous modern mystic of our times. This beloved Carmelite penned her autobiography, Story of A Soul, and captivated the hearts of readers for decades. St. Therese has always watched over me and I am amazed that it took me so long to recognize her presence. Now, I acknowledge her daily as my friend and spiritual guide.

I chose her for my patron saint because I knew her from her picture that hung in Lilly’s home where I spent a lot of happy days as a child. It was that beautiful picture of the little nun in a black habit clutching a crucifix and roses that fascinated me. I am convinced that St. Therese chose me and that is why I knew to select her for my patron saint when I was confirmed at twelve years old. I never gave her much thought growing up, but when I found myself in my darkest hour, she came to me. And it was twenty years later before I recognized her and understood how she had always been there for me.

In my darkest hour a friend told me I had a spiritual guide and described her as a woman with dark hair. My friend was psychic and she could see this presence with me. I left and went to my office in a state of total despair and asked for help from this spiritual guide. At the time I was holding a pencil over a tablet and to my complete shock and surprise, that pencil started moving slowly over the paper.

“LOUSY WORLD BETTER LOVE NOW”

Those are the words that automatically appeared on my tablet nearly twenty years ago during the darkest period of my life.

How many times had I gotten myself into trouble with my good intentions? The worst being when I married a sociopath after reading there is no cure for them, and saying to myself, I will fix him!

Oh, boy, that was the time that I entered into my spiritual trial and long dark night. A six-year period of convulsive fear and loss of every material item I owned, including my career, home, health; and worse than all of that was suffering a separation from my beloved daughter. That was my very long dark night. It was in this darkness that I found help from my unknown spiritual guide, St. Therese. She led me through without my recognizing her and I came out of that dark place and soared to new spiritual heights. The most profound being the words I heard from God, Himself, which are inscribed in my heart.