Lent 3, Monday – 2 Kings 5:1-15; Ps 41:2-3,42:2-3; Luke 4:24-30

Ah, Naaman! What a tale he spins for us today – a proud Syrian military man with a rather unfortunate case of leprosy. Who would’ve thought his salvation would begin with. . . a kidnapped young Israelite girl? Talk about plot twists! Yet it’s there, in her simplicity and generosity, that God begins to move the pieces of the great chessboard of salvation.

Picture that girl: ripped from her homeland, now stuck in a foreign household, serving the wife of her people’s enemy. She could have sulked in righteous fury, thinking, “Serves him right, leprosy and all!” But no – despite her pain, despite her circumstances – she looks beyond Naaman’s power and position, and sees a person in need. And in an act of startling compassion, she shares what she knows: that in Samaria, there’s a prophet who can heal him.

And God? Oh, He’s grinning. Divine plans are quietly unfolding. You see, God loves to take the tiniest, humblest of players (a nameless girl, a frustrated prophet, a muddy river) and use them to transform lives. Why? Because nothing is outside His creative, redemptive reach.

What does this mean for us? Well, let’s be honest – sometimes life shoves us into strange or downright unpleasant circumstances. Maybe you’re stuck in a job you dislike, or dealing with a difficult family member, or feeling overlooked and unimportant. It’s tempting in those moments to fold your arms, sulk, and think, “Why me, God?” But what if – just what if – God has planted you there, in that exact situation, to be a tiny yet vital cog in His master plan? A kind word to a grumpy colleague, a forgiving gesture to an annoying neighbour, or simply letting go of our self-pity long enough to notice someone else’s pain could change everything – for them and for you.

Of course, we have the choice to do a Naaman-before-the-healing move: stomp our feet when life doesn’t go our way and refuse what God asks. But oh, the joy when we respond like that brave little girl – with mercy, courage, and trust in God’s providence. So next time life throws something painful or unexpected your way, ask yourself this: “Is God plotting something fabulous here that I just can’t see yet?” Chances are, He is.