I feel for Miriam, the older sister of Moses. She’ll never be able to live down the moment in time when she claimed that she and their brother Aaron could hear from God as much as Moses did: “Has the Lord only spoken through Moses? Has He not spoken through us also?” God quickly allowed her the consequence of a 7-day bout of leprosy to remove her jealousy and competition concerning who was hearing what from God (Numbers 12:2,15). If I catch myself comparing myself to others and pridefully putting expectations on God or myself to be or do or hear something that I haven’t been given grace for, I realize just how easily I share in Miriam’s jealous moment. I might not experience leprosy, but the emotional consequences can be just as isolating and interruptive and the reminder equally painful for my good. I am better served to practice thanking God for how He speaks and gives to others even in, or especially in, ways He has not given to me.