Fate and Faith

There was an iconostasis on an isolated part of a road on the outskirts of my mother's childhood village that was never lit. The chief icon inside was of St. Constantine and St. Helen. I stopped as often as I could to light its vigil lamp whenever we visited family. My mother believes my efforts were rewarded by the saints because years later I married my husband, Constantine. In a sense, though we were separated by time and place, we found each other as these saints had found Christ's cross. Now some of you will say how silly but I assure you we never would have met if it wasn't predestined by God as we lived 330 miles apart in the States. My mother was in Greece having her house alarm repaired by my husband's cousin. He then approached my mother as to whether she had any eligible daughters for marriage as he had a cousin in America looking to get married. We met and despite the physical distance between us we were married within a year. Everyone attributes it to fate or written by the hand of God because so many pieces fell into place for the conclusion. My mother, of course, remembers the little church by the side of the road. If your kids become bored in Greece share the idea with them that destiny has brought them to Greece and one way or another it will be a life changing experience. The above icon is of Sts. Constantine and Helen from http://www.icnograms.org/ where you can send greeting cards with icons on them.