“What would you do if you won?” 

That seems to be the 900+ million dollar question around our local town today.

“I wouldn’t show up for work on Monday, that’s for sure!” we overheard one man say at the corner convenience store, where long-lines of people stood prepared to make their Pennsylvania Power-Ball purchase.

Tonight’s drawing is a record breaking 900 million dollars and climbing!  Leaving suspicion that it may reach One Billion dollars before the drawing actually occurs this evening at 11:28 pm EST.   No one has won the Powerball jackpot since early November, which is why the prize has grown so large.

Cuppycake & I have had this conversation once before when this same Pennsylvania State game-of-chance was creeping toward a previous record winnings.  Thankfully we both had very similar desires on how the over-sized prize would be distributed.  Our first distribution of funds, said almost simultaneously to one another, would be:

“That the first 10% of the total winnings goes back to God!” we proclaimed.

Today, with my potential winning ticket in the pocket of my gray cardigan sweater, I’ve flit-fluttered through the afternoon imagining what that could truly mean.  What would I want this gift for God to look like? What good works could I do for Him?

I know our local Catholic Charities office would benefit greatly, as would our Diocesan Bishop’s Breakfast Program! Our parish of course, the Seminarian program and most assuredly the retired priest program (Methuselah Ministry) we established a few years back…all of these would  receive the reward of these winnings.

And then there’s the dream I’ve had for establishing a restaurant which serves as a beacon of hope for those looking to rebuild their lives…

Eve’s Garden!

The model for Eve’s  Garden is to offer a training opportunity for those seeking to re-enter/enter the work force after a particular difficulty in their personal life. There would be training opportunities in all aspects of culinary service, revolving around all aspects of food preparation. There would be training opportunities for hospitality service and  management training for those seeking to progress further.

The entire operation from menu planning to food ordering would offer the opportunity to re-build themselves not only financially but more importantly emotionally & spiritually.  Always keeping in mind that this place…Eve’s Garden…is a safe, supportive, stepping stone for them to use as they build toward a renewed life for themselves.  The goal would not be to solely train individuals in food service but rather to help help them to believe in themselves again.  To assit them in setting goals for their future and see the potential in what they have the power to create this New Life to be.

Why will it be called Eve’s Garden?  Because in my dreamity-dream I have always seen us located right next door to our local Fuhrman’s Apple Cider Store! The menu would showcase their famous Cider and lots of apple-icious food dishes to boot! And of course the most famous apple orchard of all comes from the Garden of Eden…where Eve often could be found picking the apples I am sure.  But it’s not this Eve the restaurant will be named for.

Rather the New Eve, Mother Mary.

Eve Becomes the “Mother of All the Living”
New Eve Becomes the “Mother of All Who Live in Christ”

Eve – a female – sinned and brought about the Fall; thus, there is a certain justice in God’s providence allowing someone of the same sex – Mary – usher in the salvation of humanity. In a full understanding of her biblical roles in salvation history – the New Eve, the New Ark of the Covenant, and the Queen of the Eternal Davidic Kingdom – Mary is seen as the highest created being. She was the pure and perfect vessel for Christ’s Incarnation, i.e., the Theotokos, the Mother of God. No other created human being will ever have such an elevated role.

The New Eve, Mother Mary undoer of the sin of the original Eve, would be the Mother to those seeking to rebuild their lives as they sought safety, support and understanding under employment at Eve’s Garden.

I am certain there are other opportunities to gift God through our potential winnings too, but these are the quick dreams that I would proclaim if I were to be asked,

“What would you do?”

And predictably, if you knew my  Cuppycake, he WOULD still show up for work on Monday!  (But if there is a lottery-angel out there somewhere, perhaps he may consider at least leaving early that day.)

hugs n’ dreamy blessings to all the lottery-winning angels who may be out there!