We were always taught and encouraged by our founder, Fr. Rick Thomas, SJ, to have great trust in the providence of God. “God is faithful. He knows what we need,” he would tell us. “Ask and you will receive.” We have seen the Lord provide faithfully in so many ways over the years as we have prayed for what we needed. Recently though, in a funny turn of events, the Lord provided even when we didn’t ask.
Last month we were preparing to celebrate el día de los niños – Children’s Day – which is a big deal in Mexico. We usually have a party and kid-friendly food and treats for the children to enjoy. We hadn’t gotten far in our planning when we got a call from the sister of one of our volunteers. She works at a factory in Juarez, and her company always sponsors a charity for this holiday. Any employee of the company could submit a short video highlighting their favorite charity, and then the managers vote on which organization will receive the donations.
In the busyness of life, this woman missed the entry deadline, so we thought that was that. But a few days later she called and said, “I received an email from the boss that said, ‘You won! We chose your charity to receive 80 gift bags for the kids.’ I had only mentioned it to her in passing but never got around to submitting a video or request form! So we are coming to the Food Bank for el día de los niños with our donation; and my boss wants to come also and see what else you do, because our company sponsors events at Christmas, and we also help with building projects for non-profits.”
God provides! Ask, and you will receive. And even when we don’t ask, God knows what we need and delights in providing for His children.