Words of Encouragement
from Fr. Peter
August 31, 2020
Just like a small light in a dark place, a little can go a long way. Jesus says in Matthew 5, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” This is an example of the light that Jesus has given to us shining out into our community.
 
But the light is shining within our parish family as well. I want to share with you the story of one CSMSG family and how you have made a lasting impact on their lives: 
 
...Like many others thought, 2020 was going to be our year. In January my husband and I ...celebrated paying off three of the biggest long-term debts we had: one student loan, a ...credit card balance, and an emergency medical bill that had gone to collections almost a
...decade ago. We ordered in Chinese food and breathed a sigh of relief. We were still ...facing two other large student loans and our second car was on its last legs, but we felt ...good about not drowning and now happily treading water. My husband’s full-time job ...was stable, and my six part-time jobs were juggle-able.
 
...St. Patrick’s Day 2020 was the unluckiest of our lives due to Covid-19. The day before I ...had six jobs, the day after I had one, and that one was on shaky ground. My husband’s ...company sent them all home to start working remotely, and in April all employees were ...asked to donate a month’s pay to keep the company solvent, and then another
...half-month in June, which wiped out our small savings completely. My chronic illness ...that puts me in the high-risk category was a big, big worry, since my health insurance is ...through my husband’s job, and it prevented me from finding work where I usually ...would. We are not lucky to have family to financially lean on, so we started cutting ...expenses--all leisure, a lot of food, all upcoming dental and vision care, and I ...abandoned two ongoing therapies for less immediate health problems in favor of ...prioritizing care of my high-risk, chronic illness. I looked for work-from-home jobs and ...was finding scam upon scam as day after day I searched. My husband adjusted to ...working from home, but in August his company sounded a warning that things were ...going downhill fast, and instituted a 25% across-the-board pay cut starting September. ...We keep fighting and trying to cope but things keep looking bleaker for us.
 
...We were discussing which of the gas, electric, or telecommunication bills would be best ...to strategically start not paying when I was informed of the Pat Johnson Fund from The ...Church of St. Michael & St. George. We thank God every day for the incredible REAL ...help this is giving us. This has been a gift to us in two major ways: I feel this allowed us
...to not fearfully stay up at night frantically worried about spiraling into homelessness, ...and it gave us time to find safe, new work opportunities. Giving us that internal safety is
...a true act of love. It looks like I’m going to need to find a new industry since mine now ...ceases to exist, but, with your help, I am certain we can get back on our feet. I start an ...online class next week to build my next step up. 
 
...Thank you to everyone who has contributed to this fund. Without your love and ...generosity, I know my small family would truly be in dire straights. God bless you all for ...truly following Christ’s teachings. We plan to pass on your kindness and generosity in ...the future from your example. Thank you, truly.

Keep letting your light shine. 
Peter +

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