Did You Miss Something?

I was once talking about an experience I had many years ago, and the person I was speaking to suddenly said "I really needed to hear that; God must have wanted me to be listening right now." How many times has someone said something to you and then you thought afterward, "I really needed to hear that today"? It happens in various ways, but it is always exciting to be there when it does (whether we are the speaker or the listener).

I thought about this recently when someone commented about something in a homily that I gave. It was not the fact that he was listening (which I did appreciate), but also that he said he was thinking that he would not make it to Mass that day, but ended up getting a ride with someone else. The details are not that important, but it was clearly an act of Divine Providence. God had worked in his life to give him what he needed.

I wonder how often that occurs, and if it occurs more than we realize or admit. Does the Lord make sure that we hear the messages that we need to hear? And if so, does that mean that we, in our stubbornness, can miss those very messages that He wants us to hear? What happens if we allow ourselves to be distracted and miss something that He wanted for us? Will He give us another chance? Does He coordinate events in our lives that make it possible for us to hear that same information in another place or another way?

To imagine that God just lets us wander around and maybe we get what we need in life, is to descend into a non-Christian perspective akin to chaos. He promises not to "leave us as orphans" which means that he is giving us what we need when we need it. He is working in our lives constantly and making sure that we have the opportunities to learn what is necessary for our spiritual well being. Are we keeping our hearts and minds open to Him so that we do not miss anything?