Our Heart's Desire, Fulfilled

At a time of year when it's all about the wish list, Kristina Talbot shares how the Lord fulfills desires and our own opportunities for saying "yes."

My daughter has been a superfan of a certain musical for quite some time and has very much wanted to see it performed live. Unfortunately, when the tour of this production recently came to our area, I could not see a way to financially justify the expense and felt disappointed that she would have to wait longer for her shot at seeing the show. On a whim, I decided to apply for a ticket lottery with a dim hope that somehow, we would win. It should be noted that I typically don’t win things in raffles and such. When I put in for 50/50 raffles or do the school fundraising chance to win a prize, I have come to accept that it is a donation.

Much to my surprise, upon finishing work one afternoon, I saw an email sitting in my inbox that informed me that I had won the ticket lottery and had about 45 minutes to claim the prize. I couldn’t believe it. How could this be, that for a total of $20, I was going to be able to take my daughter to see the show that she had been waiting to see for years?

As if that wasn’t enough to win tickets, upon our arrival we discovered that we were seated on the front row! It was an unbelievable night of joy and delight made all the sweeter by seeing my daughter riveted by her up close and personal view of professional performers doing what she loves. It served as a beautiful reminder that the Lord is faithful in fulfilling the desires of our hearts, but it also helped me remember that I am not responsible for fulfilling ALL my children’s desires.

Find your delight in the Lord who will give you your heart’s desire. (Psalm 37:4)

Advent is often a stressful time of year, and as much as I try to keep Christ in Christmas, I still must walk into superstores and see all the many things that I’m supposed to fill my cart with so that my children have everything they want. This tug-of-war can be exhausting. Living in the world and not of it is a beautiful principle, but not always easy in practice. We are inundated with distractions and pressures about what the world has made the Christmas season into.

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Yet, as I think about my recent memorable night shared with my daughter, I think about the fact that she is around the same age as Mary when an angel appeared to her. During that time in history, I don’t know what life was truly like for Our Lady. We do know she was one of us, with the exception that she was conceived without sin. That means she had dreams, hopes, and desires that weren’t all wrapped up in salvation history and were simply a part of who she was as a young woman. But it also means that her foundation of faith laid by her parents prepared a way for her fiat that changed the course of history.

We know that when Gabriel appeared to Mary, she didn’t respond by saying, "Wait, what?!" Instead, she wondered how this could be. The story unfolds and through a series of fiats, Mary says yes to the Lord. She says yes to sharing her life with Joseph. She says yes to the journey to Bethlehem and delivers Our Lord and Savior in the humblest of dwellings.

“The people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
on those dwelling in a land
overshadowed by death
light has arisen.” (Matthew 4:16)

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The Lord came to save not only us, but our children—and He has plans to fulfill their desires. #catholicmom

The calendar is still full, the parties to attend remain, the sugar showered upon our children continues, but as busy as we are, today, we have an opportunity to put a series of fiats together in the simplest of ways.

Yes, I will stop to pray and ask the Lord to reveal himself to me as Savior.

Yes, I will take my family to look at lights and remind us that the light of the world is coming, and the darkness has not overcome.

Yes, I will walk out of the superstore with only groceries, safe in the knowledge that things are not our fulfillment.

Yes, I will be a light by asking my cashier how they are doing.

There are countless opportunities for us to say yes to the Lord during this season. But let us also remember that He came to save not only us, but our children—and He has plans to fulfill their desires. May we not get in His way and, instead, allow room for Him to outdo us. He has so much more than the front row waiting.

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