The Powerball jackpot, in case you haven’t heard, is $1.5 billion dollars. The odds aren’t in your favor to win the grand prize… or even one of the smaller prizes. And we all know what our reverend or rabbi would say about the sin of gambling. But unless you have an exceptionally strong constitution, you’ve probably been at least tempted to buy a $2 ticket.
When the lotto officials recently changed the rules of the game in order to produce eye-popping jackpots, they knew exactly what they were doing. Not for nothing, the Multi-State Lottery Association’s Powerball chairman is named Gary Grief.
However, there is a way to end up the big winner tonight. Put that Powerball money—the dollars you would have spent—to good use.
For the cost of one ticket, you can help out an organization like Cup of Joe, which sends deployed soldiers a cup of coffee along with a personalized letter of support. Gina Sclafani wrote about how the charity connected her with a very special soldier in Mysterious Ways.
If you’ve already bought a ticket, don’t feel guilty. Vow to follow the example of Debi Faris-Cifelli, who turned a jackpot win into a non-profit called Garden of Angels, which provides abandoned infants who don’t survive with a proper and respectful burial.
Of course, sometimes a sudden windfall can come to those who don’t even play the lotto, like reader Catherine Barry of Kilbarrack, Ireland:
“I was the last person in the tiny, quaint Capuchin chapel, and I wanted to stay there forever. Having lost my job a year prior, and with my house under threat to repossession, the pressure was on. As a single Mom to two beautiful, young children, I could not bear to think of them being homeless.
To my right hand side, the large, oak-framed oil painting of St. Padre Pio smiled down on me. I slipped my last few cents into the donations box and lit a solitary candle. I leaned forward, kissed my fingers and placed them on his bloodied and bandaged hands. Silently, I implored him to intercede to Our Lady, Mother Mary on my behalf.
The weekend arrived. After dinner, I read the children their bedtime stories. Once they were asleep, I went back downstairs and retrieved my rosary beads and lit a candle. I’d forgotten to switch off my mobile phone and its non-stop bleating kept interrupting my concentration. I grabbed my phone and went to turn it off and that’s when I realized I had 22 missed calls.
All my ex-work colleagues had phoned. So had my parents. Even my neighbors. I had to listen to my voice mail a dozen times before I could comprehend their garbled messages. The National Lottery had just taken place, and a scratch card with my name had been pulled out. It was obvious they’d made a mistake. It was some other ‘Catherine Barry’ who lived in the area. I couldn’t have won anything because I’d never bought a scratch card in my life.
It took me 30 minutes to finally get through to my parents. My father answered breathless and emotional. “You heard then?” his voice quivered.
“Dad, this is a mistake, I don’t buy scratch cards. I don’t even have money to.”
“It’s no mistake,” he interrupted. “I bought the ticket last week. I put your name on it.”
Even when I was handed the check for 52,000 Euro I could not believe it was happening. It was the money I needed to clear my debts. There was enough left over to treat my family and friends to some cash gifts. That left me with 1000 Euro, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. I pushed open the doors of the tiny Capuchin church, filled with gratitude and joy. Beside the painting of St. Padre Pio sat a donation box. I shoved the 1000 Euro inside.
As I stood to leave, the rectory door opened and an old Franciscan monk came trundling down the aisle. I told him my miraculous story. He listened with interest, and seemed strangely unperturbed, as if the incident was an everyday occurrence. It was then he asked me if I realized that the night I had received my prize had been May 25th.
“I don’t see the relevance,” I said naively.
“It was St. Padre Pio’s birthday.”
Whether you’ll be watching the numbers or not tonight, it’s important to remember—you can never lose when you give to someone in need.
Share the stories of your biggest “wins,” and surprising acts of giving, with us at Mysterious Ways.
