「為什麼上主今天讓我們被培肋舍特人打敗﹖我們應從史羅把上主的約櫃抬來，讓約櫃來到我們中間，拯救我們擺脫敵人的壓迫。」

如果真是上主幫助被培肋舍特人打敗你們，為何要祂的約櫃進入你們的軍隊呢？祂不會繼續打敗你們嗎？

有時我們希望上主順從我們的計劃。要反省並接受祂在另一個地方等候我們不是更明智的做法嗎？

一位沙勿略會修女渴望去巴西傳教。長上卻派她去剛果。我問她：你不失望嗎？她回答說：連一點也沒有。如果主在剛果等我，我為什麼要去巴西見祂呢？

“Why has the Lord put us to rout today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord here from Shiloh, that he may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

If it was the Lord that helped the Philistines to defeat you, why ask his ark to come among the army? Will he not go on defeating you?

Sometimes we want the Lord obey our plans. Is it not wiser to reflect and accept that the Lord is awaiting us in a different place?

A Xaverian Missionary Sister had the desire to go to Brazil. The superiors sent her to Congo. I asked her: Were you not disappointed? She replied: Not at all: if the Lord is expecting me in Congo, why should I go to Brazil to meet him?