“Thank God Ahead of Time”
— Blessed Solanus Casey
A Parable of Gratitude
If you are five, five is the best age you’ve ever been. And you wish that the magic begins on day one of your fifth year. This was just the case for twins Maggie and Ellie, as they bounded down the stairs and plopped into their chairs at the kitchen table.
Ellie stretched her arms up overhead, then slowly exhaled as she allowed her arms to slowly descend until her hands rested in her lap. Eyeing her mother stirring breakfast on the stove, Ellie said, “Thanks Mom for making today the best day ever.” Her mother turned around, and with a quick wink, replied, “No, thank YOU!”
Maggie, convinced her parents bought her the new stuffed dog she wanted, closed her eyes. She could see Penny’s coppery coat and her large admiring eyes. She already made her a collar out of an old hair bow, complete with handwritten tag “Pin-e” scrawled in crayon. “Mom, can I have my gift now? I want to take it to school and show my friends.”
A little nervous but also with a chuckle, Mom suggested, “I think you’d better wait, this year’s present can’t go to school.” Little did the girls know, that two ten-week old puppies were waiting at the neighbor’s house. Maggie angrily replied, “I don’t want anything that I can’t take with me to school. Whatever it is, I don’t want it.” She ran from the table, strapped her Mary Janes to her feet, stormed out into the garage and stubbornly waited in the car.
After an awkward ride to Mrs. Hartford’s kindergarten class, Mom rushed home. Embarrassed she called the neighbor and explained that they could only adopt one of the pups from the litter. The salesperson at the toy store suggested a beautiful doll that looked just like Maggie with blonde curly hair. Mom had it boxed up and wrapped in yellow polka dot paper, Maggie’s favorite color.
After supper, Dad cleared the table while Mom set two boxes on the table. Maggie, instantly recognizing the yellow as her favorite, tore into the wrapping and pulled out the spitting image of herself. Although a little disappointed Penny’s collar would go to waste, she hugged the doll and began brushing her curly locks.
Ellie, noticing that the smaller box must be for her, was confused. Wouldn’t she have a doll that looked just like Maggie’s? She slowly untaped the black and white paw print wrapping, and inside was a little red leather collar with a tag that read “Daisy.” Not quite able to read the name, Ellie sat trying to sound it out. Then she noticed the wagging tail bouncing towards her. A squeal of delight rang from her mouth, along with a big, “Thank you for making this the best day ever!”
The Moral
“God knows best, and, while we’ll still hope for a favorable surprise, we can hardly do better than not only being resigned to whatever God permits but even beforehand to thank Him for His mercifully loving designs.” —A letter written by Solanus Casey
As you strive for deeper prayer today, thank God for all He has planned for you.
For more information on Fr. Casey’s life of gratitude, visit ‘Thank God Ahead of Time’—A Look at Solanus Casey by Joel R. Schorn, Franciscan Media.
