He wanted to be a knight who goes into battle and celebrates victories. He wanted to be part of the king’s court and protect his queen. But things didn’t go as planned…

On May 20, 1521 Ignatius von Loyola was fatally wounded by a cannonball in a battle against the French.

While he did barely survive, both the battle and the health of his legs were lost. His plans for the future seemed to have slipped right through his fingers.

in order to try to cheer himself up, from his sick bed he requested the knight’s tales that he loved to read. There were none to be had in this house; instead there were only books about saints and their life with God.

Disappointed at first, Ignatius von Loyola began to read these books anyway. He was fascinated and deeply gripped by these stories. Suddenly, his old life and his dreams seemed to be of no value. He chose the life of a pilgrim instead of a knight at the king’s court. He served God and helped the poor. God reached out to Ignatius when his heart was broken, healed it, and made him into his knight.

Through which unexpected circumstances of your life is God reaching out to you?

Applicable Bible text: Luke 19:1-10