Best Fortune Cookie Ever

I have this old, wrinkled, slightly torn little slip of paper in my wallet. It is sitting between my driver's license and the thin plastic cover that holds in said license. It sits, blocking my glorious DMV photo and proof I'm afraid to be an organ donor because my mom told me horror stories of getting my organs taken out before I'm dead, so that its precious words can be visible. Those precious words, typed out by a wise old Asian man with a long beard and a toothless grin somewhere in a remote region in China, or perhaps massively manufactured somewhere in Kentucky, remind me of something very important.

When I first cracked open my sweet and cardboard flavored cookie, unfurled the scroll of wisdom within it and read it, I was incredulous. My first wave of disbelief, could it be that this fortune said something in proper English? Maybe it was mass produced in Kentucky. But wait! The words, oh sweet words.

"God will give you everything that you want."

My first thoughts? SCORE! I won the God lottery. He is going to give me everything I want! WOOHOO!

But then I got over myself and my heretical whims, and gave it some thought. And some prayer. And a little more of the former. And a lot more of the latter. I want plenty of things that God hasn't given me. I want plenty of fanciful and pretty and wordly things. I even want wondrous and holy things. But I don't have those yet either. What gives?

And then today, after a wonderful-as-usual homily from our chaplain Fr. Peter, it hit me. It's not what gives, it's Who gives. God gives us everything our heart truly desires. Everything we need is right before us. Just walk into your Catholic Church and behold the Blessed Sacrament. Behold the body, blood, soul and divinity of your Lord, Jesus Christ.

I don't keep that fortune in my wallet to remind me of greasy fake Chinese food, or to entertain thoughts of getting whatever I "want". I keep that fortune in my wallet because I, more than most people, need to be reminded of He Who gives all that is great and awesome and lovely and perfect.