God gives us what we need, when we need it. I truly believe that. However sometimes the patience needed for God’s timing can be a challenge.

There are a number of things, both professionally and personally, that are causing me to wait. I have continually prayed to Him that these circumstances were fully in His command. The prayer is part reminder to me that I have no control over the situations and partly to God to remind Him that I’m still waiting. Perhaps God is being His overgenerous self in giving me the opportunity to practice two virtues at once: trust in Him and patience. I have received little glimmers that give me hope, but sometimes the day-to-day can overwhelm the little blessings along the way. In His infinite wisdom, God had a way to illustrate to me, once again, that He will provide when I need it.

A few months ago I was about to place an order from a catalog using a gift card I had received, only the card was not where I thought I had placed it. I had looked in many alternative places that it may have been, but my searches were fruitless. I then started to wonder if I had accidentally thrown out the card with a previous catalog when I was tidying up. Disappointment churned inside me and I chose not to order. It wasn’t anything that I absolutely needed at the moment and tried to face the consequences of my rushed cleaning efforts by shrugging off the unnecessary. Recently, I realized that I was starting to run low on some items and knew I needed to place an order soon. I dreaded ordering and was trying to delay since I thought I had lost the gift card and with the cost of everything rising, it would have really come in handy. However, as I was rearranging my decor to bring in some autumn themed items, I was astonished to find the gift card! I laughed loudly and looked up at the sky and said a hardy, “Thank YOU God!” Then I promptly sat down and cried, overwhelmed that God truly does take care of us. It wasn’t the lottery, it didn’t solve all my issues and worries, but to me it is a shining example of how God can help us even in the most ordinary ways. 

This past Sunday’s first reading featured Naaman’s cure from leprosy by simply plunging into the Jordan river seven times. Recognizing the power of God, he vowed to worship the Lord as the one, true God. The Gospel told a similar story of Jesus healing 10 lepers and only one returned to thank Him. While leprosy may be the most obvious similarity, the real message is that by turning to God in our affliction, we find our relationship with Him. We continue the conversation with God when we allow His blessing to fill us and respond with humble and thankful hearts. 

We find when we are in need, not in want. We thank God for His blessings yesterday, today, and tomorrow, since He will provide and answer us when it is in our best interest; we just need to be open and aware of the possibilities.