When Requests are Made to God and are Not Immediately Answered

We must not become upset if for a while the Lord seems to allow our requests to go unheard. Naturally the Lord would be delighted if in one moment all men became dispassionate. But He knows, in His providence, that this would not be to their advantage.

Saint John of the Ladder and the Frog

When we draw water from a well, it can happen that we inadvertently also bring up a frog. When we acquire virtues we can sometimes find ourselves involved with the vices which are imperceptibly interwoven with them.