Not as man sees
“Not as man sees does God see.” Today’s first reading reminds me that God often calls us to unexpected roles and pathways. And, it always makes me think about my cousin David.
Like Jesse’s son David, our David was one of the youngest in a big family — youngest of seven children, and among the youngest of my twenty-two cousins. Despite being assigned to the “little kids” table at extended family gatherings, he inspired our family in big ways none of us might have imagined in those early days.
As a young adult determined to better the world, David rode his bike across the nation to raise awareness on college campuses about hunger. He traveled to South Sudan and to India to explore ways to end famine. I have always admired David’s readiness to respond to the call to do this work, and to persist in it even when people questioned the path he followed.
Tragically, David contracted a serious illness while working overseas and died suddenly at age 28. We were shocked and saddened by this loss. Then, in the months and years that followed, we witnessed the ways his life and death moved many others to advocacy and action — on behalf of people without enough to eat, on behalf of systemic solutions, on behalf of people who are marginalized.
David’s story reminds me that unexpected developments — especially those we struggle to understand — can also be opportunities to learn more about how we, and those around us, are called by God.
That learning often requires us to wrestle with questions. How can we be open to God’s plans — for ourselves and in the lives of others? How can we respond as people of faith to events that unfold differently than what we were hoping for? As we continue our Lenten journey, let us pray for the openness, courage and strength we need to hear and respond to the unanticipated ways God is calling each one of us.
Karen Dehais serves as the President of Catholic Charitiesfor the Rochester, NY Diocese.