In today's first reading, Abraham, after waiting for many years for the fulfillment of God's promise to make of him a great nation, tries to make a deal with God.
Since he has become an old man, and his wife Sara is way past her child-bearing years, surely this promise of God will not come true in the literal sense? So Abraham uses his brain and thinks that perhaps God meant to use another way. Could it be that God's promise will come true through his son, Ishmael, from the slave-girl Hagar? So Abraham tells God to bless Ishmael.
God promises that He, indeed, will bless Ishmael.
But God didn't have Ishmael in mind as Abraham's offspring from whom a great nation will come. God meant that Abraham and Sara will have a son.
And we know for a fact that, indeed, a son was born to Abraham and Sara who was way past her child-bearing years: Isaac.
When we trust our own logic, our own resources, we have very limited possibilities. When we trust God, we can reach for the stars.
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