Unaware Driver
“Jesus said in reply, “’Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?’” (Luke 17:17)
“Jesus said in reply, “’Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine?’” (Luke 17:17)
Have you ever been in the car with friends or family where the person driving is blissfully unaware of their GPS? They take the left turn as directed but then get lost in the music, conversation, or zone out and completely miss all of the reminders to take their exit.
We can be the unaware driver in our spiritual lives. With today’s Gospel, Jesus heals 10 lepers but only one realizes he has been healed and returns to praise God. It’s easy to focus on the fact that the other nine didn’t see that they were healed in almost a “how could they not notice?” way, but they were following Jesus’s command. Jesus told them to go to the priests and that’s precisely what they did.
Just like the unaware driver, we often are like those nine. We follow God’s first direction but get caught up in doing so to the point that we are unaware of the other nudges, leads, and blessings God wishes to bestow. The nine lepers may have been caught up in wondering why they were told to see the priests when they knew they would likely be turned away, or they were caught up in the journey itself, thus making them unaware of the healing.
We need to be open to receiving more. Don’t “miss your exit” but be aware of how God wants to reach you at all times- even when you know you’re following his lead.
How can I be more aware of God’s presence?
Lord, help me to be a good listener and to be aware of where you are leading me. Amen.
Brittany DeHaan grew up in San Antonio, Texas and attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette for college. She taught at a Catholic elementary school in Iowa for a year before moving to Florida in 2021. She taught at St. Paul Catholic School in St. Petersburg for two years before joining the pastoral center where she is currently the Communications Coordinator. She is passionate about her faith and loves to be involved in the diocese. She loves music, art, playing sports, and livestreaming Geoguessr in her free time.
