Dear Michele,It’s Christmas, and I’m still waiting to meet Mr. Right. I believe that our Lord could send me the right person for me if he wanted to. Why doesn’t Jesus fix it? I’m not asking for fortune, or fame, and I’ve been a faithful Catholic. As we’re celebrating the birth of Jesus, why doesn’t He send me my hearts’ desire?
Signed,
Why Doesn’t Jesus Just Send Him to Me?
Dear Why Doesn’t’ Jesus,
Your letter perfectly describes the pain that a lot of singles are feeling this time of year. As faithful Catholics, celebrating the birth of Jesus is meant to be a time of peace and joy. The stuff of all those Christmas cards we receive, with pictures of smiling friends and family staring back at us. But why don’t we experience it that way? And if the longing in our heart is simply to share our life with a partner, a desire that God planted in our heart, then why doesn’t He just send him (or her) to me?
The question has been on the mind of Saints and theologians for thousands of years. C.S. Lewis wrote an entire book on “The Problem of Pain.” John Paul II wrote an encyclical entitled “Salvific Doloris,” the Christian Meaning of Human Suffering. If our Lord could step down from Heaven and into human history in the form of a child, and be the Messiah that heals the sick, brings sight to the blind, and raises the dead, then why can He simply not answer our prayers for a mate? Assuming our prayers are coming from a place of faith and compassion, are we really not just asking for what God has ordained us to do?
And it’s not just the theologians of today, those who lived in the time of Christ asked the same question. When John the Baptist was in prison, he sent one of his disciplines to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah. Just think, John was the one who paved the way for Jesus to start His ministry, John baptized Jesus in the Jordon, saw the dove descent and heard the Lord’s voice proclaim that Jesus was His Son. But after all this, in the midst of His suffering, John wasn’t only asking if Jesus was the Christ, he was asking, why don’t you come and help me? Why don’t you fix this? And in the end, John’s trial ended in death. Jesus did not come and release him from his captors.
So we are left with a lesson about suffering, and even suffering for Christ. Being faithful does not mean that we are to be sheltered from pain. Being a “good Catholic” does not mean that all of our prayers are going to be answered. And that is the challenge of faith. Can you love a God who does not deliver the one precious present that you desire? Can you believe in a God who may ask you to wait a lifetime, without a good answer? If you are like most humans, some days your answer may be “yes,” but others it may be “I’m not sure I can do this.” Doubt, even anger at God is normal. This is what it means to be in a real relationship.
But not to leave you without hope. 1 Peter 1:6-7 tells us that Christians are being prepared for Glory. We must keep in mind that all God plans and performs here is preparation for what He has in store for us in heaven. He is preparing us for the life and service yet to come. We do know: life today is a school in which God trains us for our future ministry in eternity. This explains the presence of trials in our lives: they are some of God’s tools and textbooks in the school of Christian experience.
And, we can still enjoy the Glory and Peace of God now. The Christian philosophy of life is not “pie in the sky by and by.” It carries with it a present dynamic that can turn suffering into glory today. Peter gave four directions for enjoying the glory now, even in the midst of trials.
Love Christ (v. 8). Our love for Christ is not based on physical sight, because we have not seen Him. It is based on our spiritual relationship with Him and what the Word has taught us about Him. When you find yourself in some trial, and you hurt, immediately lift your heart to Christ in true love and worship. Why? Because this will take the poison out of the experience and replace it with healing medicine.
Rejoice in Christ (v. 8). You may not be able to rejoice over the circumstances, but you can rejoice in them by centering your heart and mind on Jesus Christ. Each experience of trial helps us learn something new and wonderful about our Savior. Paul learned the sufficiency of His grace when he suffered with a thorn in the flesh (2 Cor. 12).
Receive from Christ (vv. 9–12). “Believing… receiving” is God’s way of meeting our needs. If we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, then we can receive from Him all that we need to turn trials into triumphs. First Peter 1:9 can be translated, “For you are receiving the consummation of your faith, that is, the final salvation of your souls.” In other words, we can experience today some of that future glory. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “Little faith will take your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul.” It is not enough that we long for heaven during times of suffering, for anybody can do that. What Peter urged his readers to do was exercise love, faith, and rejoicing, so that they might experience some of the glory of heaven in the midst of suffering now.
When Jesus came to earth, the Jewish teachers were awaiting a conquering Messiah who would defeat Israel’s enemies and establish the glorious kingdom promised to David. Even His own disciples were not clear about the need for His death on the cross (Matt. 16:13–28). They were still inquiring about the Jewish kingdom even after His resurrection (Acts 1:1–8).
When we trust Christ, we can expect his grace to help us through. We are being kept for glory. As we obey Him and experience trials, we are being prepared for glory. When we love Him, trust Him, and rejoice in Him, we experience the glory here and now.
Joy unspeakable and full of glory! May this lift your heart to the peace and joy of Christmas.
God Bless,
Michele Fleming, M.A.
