There was a brief (thankfully) time last year when I was desperate for a job. I searched every online job listing daily, even hourly, sending my resume into the great cloud of the Internet each time I saw an opportunity even vaguely related to my experience.
I networked. I had lunch with business associates I hadn't spoken with in years. It was exhausting. Finally, I gave up. A few weeks later, someone called about job I'd applied for months earlier. I'd forgotten all about it. I got the job. I was, and am, extremely grateful to God for this bit of good fortune.
In today's first reading Adam, the first human created by God, is searching for a partner. God presents all of creation to Adam, and nothing is suitable. "So the Lord God cast a deep sleep on the man, and while he was asleep, he took out one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. The Lord God then built up into a woman the rib that he had taken from the man."
God puts Adam in a deep sleep, and then tries to create something that will not only meet Adam's needs, but delight him. The result? Adam is thrilled. "When he brought her to the man, the man said: 'This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called woman.'"
You can hardly blame Adam for not accepting any old bird, mammal or reptile for a mate. But he doesn't find what he's really looking for until God puts him to sleep, until he ends his search. Then, God takes care of Adam with spectacular results.
It would seem that God likes to take care of us in ways that make it clear that we're not taking care of ourselves. This is good news if you like surprises, but not such good news if you like immediate results from your own actions. There is no way I could say that my sudden employment was the result of my hard work, and there is no way Adam can say that he found the perfect mate through his own determined effort.
Whether we are searching for a mate, a job, a direction in life or something else, we may not find what we are looking for until we stop looking. Perhaps it is only when we are surprised to discover what we need that we know it comes not as a result of our own efforts to take care of ourselves, but as a gift from God. Then we are better able to give credit where credit is due for our good fortune.
Today's Scripture reminds us once again that God wants to take care of us, to meet our needs and to delight us with blessings. Sometimes we are so busy trying to take care of ourselves that we forget to ask for God's assistance, or recognize it when it comes. Maybe if we pause, we'll find that God takes care us, too, with spectacular results. Bill Peatman writes from Napa. He may be reached at bptidings@yahoo.com. |