Monday Morning Meditation #45: More Than We Ask

Good morning! After serving as a clean-up crew of one (at times throughout the day) and of two (at other times) for the Old Mission fiesta yesterday, I was really tired when I got home well after 8:00. So, it appears, this morning I have unintentionally slept in. Fortunately, I did not have far to read before a passage hit home. Passing over the death of King David and the succession of his son Solomon as King, I found an interesting set of verses:

7. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."

8. Solomon answered God, "You have shown great kindness to David my father and have made me king in his place.

9. Now, LORD God, let your promise to my father David be confirmed, for you have made me king over a people who are as numerous as the dust of the earth.

10. Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?"

11. God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."

Reading: 2 Chronicles 1: 7-11.

Meditation: I have noticed that very often God does not give us only what we ask for but also much more. This has certainly been my personal experience. It has happened with health, with money, and with other things. Let me take one example each of health and money.

On more than one occasion, God has healed me although I have not asked for a healing. Once that occurred with a torn rotator cuff that was being analyzed for surgery; the Sunday before the pre-op MRI, I felt a touch on my shoulder during Mass and instantly I was able to use the arm. The later MRI spooked the doctor because it showed no injury! Another time I was in severe pain from a urine infection that had shut down my bladder (not the first time, so I knew what I was dealing with) and urine that looked highly infected (I had collected a sample to give the doctor as soon as I would be able to get there). I was two hours by specially-ordered car into the wilds of northern Russia and it would be morning before I could get into Moscow for help; it was the middle of the night that my bladder had shut down. All I asked for was a greater tolerance of pain in order to get through the night. I instantly felt warm hands on me, the pain disappeared, and I fell asleep. When I awoke in the morning, my urine was clear and there was no pain or any other indication that there ever had been a problem except for the infected urine sample that I still had from the the night before's collection. I had asked for a small thing or, in the first case, for nothing; I got miracles.

Likewise, I once owed the IRS $11K that had to be paid in a period of weeks. I asked for help with that because I had just returned from Jordan and hand not even a dime in savings. I not only only got the $11K but also I got enough to pay the tax accountant who helped me in working through the details with the IRS and, like the loaves and fishes, had several hundred dollars left over. I figured those dollars belonged to God and donated them to a retreat center that had burned down and was desperate for money to rebuild.

So, I can relate to Solomon. He asked for wisdom. He got so much more. Amazing!

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I must retire to private prayer to thank God for always, always providing for me in ways far greater than I ask, to praise Him for the marvelous surprises He provides for me in that respect, to repent for anything I have done not to deserve such grace (as in my daily and hourly failings!), and, of course, and to ask Him to keep me close to Him always. Now I retire to spend as much time as I can in contemplation, my favorite part of the day, letting God take over the direction in which my relationship with Him moves.

I will leave you to your prayer and contemplation, but first, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I hope you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts.

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs that follow the enumeration of Monday Morning Meditations on the sidebar of this blog and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.