Signs of Life in the Midst of Death
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Have you ever been given something different than you asked God for? I have had that experience many times.
I asked for certain things and God gave me other things instead. Maybe they were things that fit me better. Maybe they were things that I needed more.
In one way or another, it’s led me precisely to who I am, but like the Israelites I grumbled along the way and didn’t understand why. I have often wondered what God is up to in providing for me in a different way than I wanted.
The lesson today is that God provides bread in all the ways we need, but not always in the ways we expect. He feeds, nourishes, and sustains us with the food that does not perish, but rather leads to abundant life.
My husband and I are watching the movie Cabrini and Mother Cabrini is a wonderful example of this lesson. She wanted to go in one particular direction, but God put her in a different direction, perhaps one that was more perfectly fitting for what He had in mind for her.
God provided the means for her service along the way, or what we could call "bread for the journey." What was most important was her willingness to listen and follow His lead in the midst of twists, turns, and struggles.
She saw deep needs in her midst, developed concrete services to meet those needs, and God provided the bread for her and her mission throughout, certainly not without struggle though. Her mission was not easy.
There are so many other saints we can point to who did the same. God pointed them in a different direction. They listened and followed. They were sustained with the bread He gave them, and provided that bread to others who needed it most. This is the model of sainthood.
Saints are people who took the bread they were given and found a great need for it in the world. The same can be true for us if we do the same. Sainthood is not out of reach. It's just listening to the needs among us, receiving the Lord's bread both physically and spiritually, and giving the gifts we were given away to fulfill those needs.
Do you see the ways that God provides for you, even if they aren’t the things you asked for? How is God looking for you to provide the bread you’ve been given for the deepest needs of others in your midst? This is the work for food that does not perish!
Katie Zalany lives in Cleveland Ohio. She is a Third Order Secular Franciscan (OFS), spiritual director, benefits/wellness leader, certified health and life coach, and volunteer. She is the creator of the ministry Women in Waiting | Made for Fruitfulness and is a published author. Her writing interests and focus areas include Gospel reflections, Franciscan spirituality, women's spirituality, prayer, and integration of faith and daily living.
