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1 Kings 3:21 "When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, behold it was dead, but when I looked at it closely in the morning, behold, it was not the child I had borne."

 

This woman, the mother of the living child in the famous story of Solomon's wisdom in judgment, has awoken to a very disruptive and perplexing problem. First, she thinks her child is dead, then, when she looks more closely, she realizes this is not even her child. 

 

Sometimes God gives us these very sudden and disruptive challenges. I have, just within the last year, had the experience of going to bed feeling all was well but awaking to a very unexpected problem, one I looked at (and continue to look at) from every angle, trying to determine what it is and why God has given it to me. It remains quite disconcerting. Something inexplicable but very real is happening in my life, something I have to handle in the best way possible, and need God's help to do so. 

 

The woman in this story goes to Solomon, the king, when she realizes what has happened. When faced with these disruptions, that is the best course of action: go to the King. Mass, prayer, and confession give us grace and guidance as we try to figure things out. While away over the weekend, I attended daily Mass and the priest gave a homily about how, in order to have us grow in faith and love, God sometimes has to disrupt our lives, even sometimes break our hearts. He told us to ask God for these disruptions, because that is where the growth is. The homily spoke to me so much, I felt like this was another puzzle piece falling into place: God is disrupting my life to have me grow! I was thinking I'd like to talk to this priest more when he announced that he would be hearing confessions after Mass! So I went to him for confession and he put his finger right on the problem, told me I was being tested, and gave me some excellent guidance and prayers. The whole thing just was so perfect, I know that God's hand was in it. He always gives us what we need when we need it and are ready for it. 

 

So while I continue to deal with my perplexing disruption, I know God is with me each step of the way. I also realize that, although I may be puzzled and wary, through this God is leading me somewhere even better. Disruptions, while often difficult, can be quite exciting when one looks at them from that point of view.