Saul then said to David: "You are in the right rather than I; you have treated me generously, while I have done you harm. Great is the generosity you showed me today, when the LORD delivered me into your grasp and you did not kill me. For if a man meets his enemy, does he send him away unharmed? May the LORD reward you generously for what you have done this day. // 1 Samuel 24:18-20
I felt a little manipulated (and more than a little miffed).
I had agreed to offer support for a foster parent who needed a break from the intensity of caring for a child with difficult needs. As the weekend progressed my multiple messages to this foster mom went unanswered. When I finally reached her she blithely assumed that I would, at a moment's notice, care for her little one for an additional day despite the plan to which we had agreed. No apology, no kind request, just an assumption.
Sometimes manipulations are so slight that we don’t even take note until the wrong is long over. The burning Now, wait just one minute! feeling comes too late, and we are left feeling the sting of injustice in our hearts, powerless to undo what wronged us in the first place.
I love today’s reading from the First Book of Samuel (see 1 Samuel 4:3-21) because at its heart, it is a story of justice. Our dear David did the right thing, the just thing. He could have slain King Saul, right then and there. He knew, though, that God’s timing is sublimely perfect. He trusted that God would see His plan of justice through.
Like David, you and I can’t force the hand of justice either. We can’t make our coworkers, family, or friends do the right thing. Nor can we force an outcome just because we are too impatient to wait. Like the roster of Apostles introduced in today’s Gospel passage (see Mark 3:13-19), you and I and everyone else can act sinfully through being greedy, dishonest, cowardly, entitled, and so on. Our relationships are so very imperfect.
If you are feeling the pain of an injustice in one of your relationships today, know that the Lord sees you. We need not force the hand of anyone. Let’s pray with Psalm 57 for today that He might shower His mercy on all of our relationships, and that we might live and love with a just heart.
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, and listening to bluegrass music. She is the author of Blessed Conversations: Misericordia.
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