It was at the dawn of my church life. “Dawn” was far in my twenty years. And like any girl, and the girl is quite “adult”, I really wanted to get married. And as a newly minted, zealous Christian from a very distant Moscow family of diplomats, I dreamed of a quiet life somewhere in a quiet corner. Preferably in a remote village, near the monastery. Surrounded by a bunch of children and «led» by a bearded Orthodox husband. About family prayer at dawn, about a wardrobe consisting of a huge number of long skirts and handkerchiefs in tone. A garden where everything will grow. About long monastic services, where next to us, parents, will stand in line our sweet obedient children and quietly pray. And permanent wonders…
Having taken a beautiful look, that is, having changed jeans to dresses and modestly wearing a handkerchief, not forgetting to release curls from under it — goods face, so to speak — I began to go to services, fast, pray and stare around. The bearded grooms were in no hurry with their hands and hearts. And then it turned out that even when creating an Orthodox family, such a “banal” thing as love is necessary. In general, it is not “ekalo”, when still occasionally someone came to meet.
When I was finally desperate and ready to go to a monastery, I got into my hands a book about St. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg – I bought the Savior in the Cathedral of Christ. First time I’ve heard of her. I was surprised to learn that she was very helpful in family matters. There are many witnesses who testify. And on the last page is the address of the chapel at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg, built on the place of its burial. Now I had no opportunity to rush there — I worked and studied in graduate school. But I decided to write a letter to the chapel workers. Doused with sincere tears numerous sheets, she told them in detail about her stupid life. I begged the saint to “transmit” all this in a letter, so that, despite the above and very sinful things, she would still take pity and help me get married. I prayed for everything in my wallet. As I remember now, 150 rubles. I went to the post office and sent a letter. Two or three weeks later, and (wonderful!) I got an answer. I was thanked for the donation, everything is done, prayer service is served and everything will be fine. And in the letter was enclosed a small flower petal, consecrated on the grave of Xenia of St. Petersburg. And at that moment, probably for the first time in my life, I had no doubt that, yes, everything would be fine.
And ten days later, with a precious letter in my bag (I decided not to part with it!), I went to rest with my friend and her husband Alexander in Ukraine. In the last week of our stay, they offered to visit the small town of N, where Alexander was from. And there — to visit his classmate Vadim. It was quite late, we rang the doorbell for a long time, it finally opened. And on the threshold he appeared, bearded and with a cross! But that’s not the point. The main thing is not what cried, but covered. We stayed in the blessed city for three more days. All the time I begged Blessed Xenia to do something. It’s him, it’s him! We should go. We went swimming, cooked our ears, played tennis, it was fun, but he didn’t pay any attention to me.
And here’s the day of departure… My friends and I were waiting for a long-distance train to the next town. There were minutes to land. Soaking crocodile tears in my soul and struggling to “hold my face,” I continued to appeal to the saint, who had so reassured me with her petal.
Alexander’s cell phone rang. After a brief conversation with someone, he happily said:
— Vadim will come with us, he is already running.
— Why didn’t he say that before? — I asked.
“He didn’t know if he would make it,” Alexander explained. — He had to hit the rabbits at the dacha.
Rabbits were bred by Vadim’s mother. I was overwhelmed by such a stream of happiness that this brutal “scoring rabbits” sounded to me like “going to the bear with one knife.” «A real man,» I thought, «is a forager!» Not like our Moscow sluts. Ksenia, help me! Vadim came running, we jumped into the train and went. I won’t wait long, he made me an offer the same day he couldn’t refuse.
Three days later, I left, and a month later, my betrothed man came for me to Moscow, kidnapped me and took me to the city of my dreams, the small Ukrainian town of N. Everyone I knew was spinning around my temple, and I dropped out of graduate school, my job, and I was in love and happy. We quickly signed and got married two days later in Crimea. And exactly nine months later, our first daughter Varenka was born.
However, later it turns out that the wife of the Decembrist of me, frankly, not very. Although everything was like dreams — a quiet province, prayers at dawn (to be honest, I often woke up with scandals), long services, and my precious husband even sang on the choir in a real garter. After a year and a half we moved to Moscow.
And when we left, I gave a petal to one of our altar friend, who had been unable to marry for a long time. He has a beautiful wife now. And they took a great boy from the orphanage. My husband and I have four wonderful children, four girls. Varya, Sonya, Dunja and Thonechka.
Things happen in life. But when grievances pass, quarrels come to an end, and claims are at least partially exhausted (and without all this, due to natural inclinations, I can not in any way), I do not tire of thanking the Lord God and St. Blessed Xenia of Petersburg for the undeserved gift I have given – my beloved family. For this great miracle that happened to me.
Author: Elena Kucherenko (wife and mother already 5 daughters)
The Holy Land Charitable Foundation
Soul investment!
Orthodox stories from life
