Dear Anna . . .

 

Does anyone out there remember the popular self-help columnist, Abigail Van Buren, or more popularly known as Dear Abby? Launched in 1956 by Pauline Phillips, she wrote the column which was syndicated until 2000 when her daughter, Jeanne Phillips, carried on? As most of us realize, self-help books and columns can only do so much to solve people's problems. Most of the hard work has to come from the people themselves, but it never hurts to tell your story to someone who not only listens, but cares enough to offer some targeted advice. 

That tradition began in my family with my grandmother, who was the "Dear Abby" of her neighborhood community in Italy. Here's an excerpt from the upcoming Third Edition of my book:

I suspect my guardian angel currently is my grandmother on my father’s side. She taught me how to find and grow my faith. A devout Catholic, she attended church regularly, prayed the rosary often, and for special needs would enter a nine-day period of prayer. These technical aspects of her faith, however, only reflect the surface waters of her deep, abiding beliefs.

Every believer is given certain gifts that can be used in God’s service. My grandmother’s became known in her community in Italy, when as a little girl people came to her home to ask for her help. Her method was to pray a novena to a certain saint and in her dreams the answer to the question or the solution to the problem would come to her.

When word of her gift got out, her parents were frightened that she would be arrested or worse, and arranged for her to come to America where she set up housekeeping with my grandfather, also from Italy, but who earned his citizenship as a soldier in WWI. Once here she continued to share her clairvoyant gifts with others, but on a more informal basis.

Many of my fondest childhood memories involve my Gramma Carmella. I could always feel God’s Holy Spirit in and around her whenever we could be together. Our relationship grew close to the point where she was the most important person in my life.

That Gift was passed down to her daughter, my Aunt, and seems to have been also passed down to me. When I found myself talking to people about their problems, I began to sense that the Holy Spirit was giving me just the right words to say to them, words they needed to hear at that exact moment. I know the words aren't from me because half the time they don't make that much sense to me, but from the look of revelation on the face of the person I'm sharing them with, I know they were from God.

If you have a problem or a question you'd like to share as an anonymous comment on my "Dear Anna" blog page, I'll pray about it and do my best to pass on to you any insight I might be given to share with you and post it as a reply to your comment.

Gifts were given to be shared . . . I'll share mine with you . . . you share yours with others!