A Mother's Day Story:The Magnolia Tree of Books

Source: Southern Living

$500 Short

A few years ago I was having lunch with my mom for mother's day when we started sharing book stories. Then, out of the blue, she told me a story that so floored me I just started crying. When I was a junior at Southern Methodist University, I had a semester when my financial aid fell short and I didn't have enough money to buy my books. I was about $500 short. I swallowed my pride and I called Mom and Dad asking for help. I didn't know at the time that money was tight and that they did not have the money to help me.

Candles, Prayers and Trees
Unbeknownst to me, my mother was upset because they couldn't help me. She never let on. Instead, my mother started praying for a solution. Around this same time, we had a magnolia tree growing in the front yard that was destroying the sidewalk. Mom had been pestering Dad for months to do something about it. The first day of classes were a few days away and I had told my parents that was the deadline for buying my books. I didn't want to fall behind. At this point, my mother probably lit a Sacred Heart candle and invoked the intercession of St. Jude, the patron saint of lost causes.

Magnolia Miracle
When it seemed like they weren't going to be able to get me the money, there was a knock on my parents' front door. It was a man who owned a landscaping company. He had driven by and saw the magnolia tree and he stopped to ask about it. At first, Mom thought he was asking for work to fix the sidewalk. Instead, he offered to buy the magnolia tree and remove it for $500! Her prayers had been answered and she now had the money to give me to buy my books. I never knew this story while I was attending school. Now, any time I see a magnolia tree, I think about how much my Mom loves me. It also reminds me that God answers prayers, especially those of the persistent mother (See the story of St. Monica).

The Gift of Prayer

The greatest gift my mother has given me (besides life) is the knowledge that God answers prayers. She has always been a prayer warrior and my prayer role model. Thanks, Mom. You are always in my prayers.