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2 Kings 18:5 "[Hezekiah] trusted in the Lord the God of Israel; so that there was none like him among all the kings of Judah after him, nor among those who were before him."

 

It is very early, but I can already tell that the theme for today for me is trust. Lately I have been like Martha, anxious and worried about many things. I bring them to the Lord in prayer, but even while praying, my mind is working on ways to fix them, or ruminating on the injustice of them, or worrying that there is no solution to them. I know this is not the right way to pray, and yet I cannot seem to stop myself sometimes. At Mass this morning, though, the Gospel was the one in which Jesus tells Peter to catch a fish, open its mouth, and find there a coin for the temple tax being demanded of them. (Matthew 17:22-27). I often think of this Gospel when I am worried about something for which I see no solution. It so matter-of-factly shows how God is in charge and will provide exactly what is needed when it is needed, often in ways we could not possibly foresee. As I search for answers to my problems in my own mind, going fishing for a coin-containing fish is most definitely not on my list of possible solutions. That is why Jesus doesn't want me to think on these things, and just trust Him. He knows the fish with the coin is out there, He will tell me to go catch it when I need it.

 

My Surrender Novena day for today was my favorite one, Day 8, which says "Close your eyes and let yourself be carried away on the flowing current of My grace; close your eyes and do not think of the present, turning your thoughts away from the future just as you would from temptation. Repose in Me, believing in My goodness, and I promise you by My love that if you say, 'You take care of it.' I will take care of it all; I will console you, liberate you and guide you." My anxiousness and worry is akin to temptation. It is leading me away from God's grace, and I am letting it. Today's verse reminds me that the best king of Judah, much like his ancestor David, was the best because he trusted in the Lord, just like Abraham, just like Mary.

 

Trust is the key to everything. It keeps us in God's grace, where his power can fully protect and provide for us as only He can, often in the most unexpected of ways.