Sunday, June 10, 2012

on unexpected answers to prayers.


As I sat in Mass this morning and waited for the prayers of the faithful to begin, I paused to take a minute to think about what my own personal requests were. Guidance. Peace. Wisdom.

Not even ten seconds later, a girl walked down the aisle next to me, straight into my line of vision. She was about nine years old, with straight brown hair, wearing a pink skirt and white t-shirt. Printed across her shirt in bright, colorful letters was a single phrase: "Follow UR heart."

I don't know if I have ever received an answer to a prayer so quickly. I guess this Ignation idea of finding God in all things isn't something to joke about!

In all seriousness, however, one of the things I am learning because of this year is that God speaks to us in some surprising ways, through things both big and small, dramatic and very ordinary. I think many people expect to find God in a church, but they don't expect Him to speak through a cheesy t-shirt slogan.

But I think that's one of the things I most love about this adventure we call faith: that God can't be contained by the limitations that we try to put around Him. He can speak through the humblest of things, and He will do whatever it takes to reach us. And at the end of the day, I think He has a sense of humor with us.

So, where does that leave me? I guess I'm just going to try to keep listening. Follow your heart, indeed.

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