Have you ever wondered why the Shamrock, or 3-leaf clover, is the national flower of Ireland?
Patrick was born in the late 4th century in Britain, then a part of the Roman Empire. His father was a deacon in the Christian Church, but Patrick wasn’t very religious.
When he was 16 years old, around 405 A.D., Irish raiders kidnapped him and took him back to Ireland as a slave. They put him to work as a shepherd where he spent most of his time alone with the sheep. In his misery, he turned to God for comfort. During these six years, he prayed and developed a deep, personal faith in God.
Patrick dreamed that God told him to escape so he ran away to the coast and found a ship to return to Britain. Once back home, he had another dream in which the people of Ireland pleaded with him to come back and lead them to Christ.
Patrick went to France to study the Bible and was ordained a priest. In 433 A.D. he returned to Ireland to tell them the Good News about Jesus Christ. But he had a problem.
The concept of the God of the Bible is difficult to comprehend. How can there be Three Persons but only One God, a Tri-unity? The term Trinity is not used in the Bible, but the concept is clearly there. Here is a small sample:
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heavens aid, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Matthew 3:16-17
Just before going into heaven, Jesus commanded his disciples: Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,. . Matthew 28:19
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. 2 Cor 13:14
While teaching the Irish about God, Patrick used the 3 leaves of the Shamrock to illustrate the concept of the biblical Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Three Persons in One Godhead.
The people of Ireland did convert from their pagan religion to Christianity and Patrick became the Patron Saint of the country.
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Lines from Lynn 
I LOVE THIS STORY! I’d ready earlier that he was somewhat of a rebel when his folks tried to encourage him in his faith, but it took kidnapping and miserable living conditions to draw him to the Lord. Oh, what God will do to draw His own to Himself!