The Best Gift Giver

My fingers tapped the steering wheel distractedly as the traffic slowed and I struggled to focus in on prayer:

The second Joyful Mystery is the Visitation . . . Our Father, Who art in heaven . . .

I should've left earlier, I thought as my car waded through the rush hour traffic that was the bane of my existence.

Under these circumstances, you just couldn't have imagined the pure joy I felt as my little grey Mazda pulled up slowly next to a blue Subaru, a dear friend and her little boy inside.

I gave a friendly "honk honk" on my horn, but she was too caught up in her morning praise and worship and the delight of her son in the backseat to notice me.

We played this game together for a mile or so: me waving through the window and watching her worship-while-driving, while she was totally unaware of my presence.

And then, by some beautiful miracle that only the Lord could orchestrate, we both came to a full stop, side-by-side, with scores of other drivers surrounding us. Our gazes met, and we laughed out loud, waving with the exuberance of teenagers on a school bus.

Our Lord tells us in today's Gospel to "ask,"seek," and "knock" (Matthew 7: 7-12). But the truth is that I don't often know what it is that should fill the bucket of my heart's intentions. I had truly needed a friend that morning. I needed someone who could remind me that I wasn't alone in my journey. Those had been the prayers of my heart even though I hadn't thought to offer them up.

But the Lord knew. He knew that a fellow sister's face would do me good and that seeing her deeply rooted in prayer would encourage me to do the same. "It felt like a hug!" my friend said later. Yes, indeed.

Our Lord tells us in today's Gospel to ask, seek, and knock. // Karen SchultzClick to tweet

Sister, it's okay to not know how to ask, seek, and knock. Let's pray together, "Lord, please give me exactly what I need today. All of that and nothing else."

Karen Schultz hails from the Land of 10,000 lakes, where she is often found in or near one of them. As a doula, lactation educator, and FertilityCare Practitioner, she finds joy in helping women to embrace the gift of their bodies. Downtime is found in quiet adoration chapels, farmers markets and gardens, listening to bluegrass music, and embracing the diversity of Minnesota’s seasons. She is a contributing author to our Works of Mercy Study: Misericordia. You can find out more about her here.