Not the One I had imagined

A Japanese sister once gave me a card with a poem by the Japanese poet and artist Tomihiro Hoshino. The English translation on the back said:

You were not the One I had imagined
You didn't come where I had expected
You didn't do the things for me as I had asked for...
But You did the things many times
just as I had hoped for

Today, as we celebrate the Epiphany, I recalled this poem. It speaks to me of how the wise men might have felt, finding God - finding the One they were seeking - where and how they least expected or imagined. 

Yesterday, 5th January, was the 28th anniversary of the day I joined the Society of the Sacred Heart. I had come to the end of one quest, one journey, only to continue questing and journeying, though now within the adventure of religious life. And rather like the magi, I was to be surprised, many times over, discovering that there is a steadfast certainty about God, but also a constant unexpectedness. I entered seeking "more" of God, and I have indeed found, and continue to find this; continually finding the One... Never quite as I had imagined, though, or where I had expected... But infinitely better than I could ever have hoped for. 

May you, too, find not the One you had imagined, but the One who is so much better than you hoped for...