Faith

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God was sitting up on His throne one day, when one of His angels came to Him and said, “Good Lord, we understand from your Holiness what You look for in your servants. Yet I would like to know more about this particular situation. The Lord responded, “What, my dear Angel, would you like to know further about?” The Angel responded, “Why do You try some people so harshly and yet give others few, if any, trials? You have created man with free will and a little lower than us angels here in heaven, yet man does not have available to him on earth all the heavenly resources that we do here in paradise. It breaks my little angel heart when I watch one of your servants down below going through such trials and suffering tremendously. It seems that You sit and watch while some suffer, and yet You allow others to enjoy every waking moment of their existence: You bless them with beauty, with riches, with wealth—with everything their little hearts desire. Yet some souls go through fire and have to toil through such hardships.”

The Lord responded affectionately to the angel, “Good Angel, I love all my creatures. I know every one of them intimately. Indeed, I know the number of hairs on their heads. Yet some, I created with weaker constitutions. It would be cruel of me to send trials to those who could never bear them as this would not be in accordance with God’s workings. The ones to whom I have sent trials are very special to me and those whom I want to conform more to my image. These same servants will see and feel the power of God in their trials—something the others, of the lesser constitutions, will never experience. I am always with those in the midst of trials. I am closest then, for I am the Lord.”

The angel, listening attentively to God, compassionately added, “Your servant, Joe—his trials have been continuing for a long time now. He is weak and faint. He believes in You and loves You and knows that You are faithful, but he is frightened nonetheless. Indeed his faith has grown tremendously these past years. All the angels and I were talking the other day and we are very proud of him even though he has stumbled and dropped his cross several times.”

The Lord responded, “Yes, my servant Joe. He has been faithful. Look how he’s grown these past years. His faith has been remarkable. He is very special to me and I am pleased with him. Who would believe that he was an agnostic only twenty-five years ago?”

The angel, somewhat incredulous, responded, “Good Lord, we did not know that. We have only been following his case these past ten years and cannot believe his struggles since then. All his dreams, wishes, and aspirations have been crushed, his hopes smothered, and his will crushed. And yet he goes on and holds tenaciously to his faith.”

The Lord, smiling, responded, “Ah, yes. I have let him become blinded by the world so that his eyes would become focused on Me. He has walked the walk of faith and has gained everything beside. He does not have to be tried anymore. You can go now, little Angel, and whisper in his ear that his trial has ended, that the Lord is well pleased with him.”

The angel was so happy that he could bring the good tidings to Joe that he rushed down from heaven to Joe’s bedside where he found Joe in meditation and prayer. Before the angel was to whisper in Joe’s ear that his trials were now over and that the Lord had great things in store for him, the angel overheard Joe’s prayers: “Good Lord, forgive my trespasses during these difficult times and forgive all and any that have trespassed against me. I know that you have sent these trials to conform me to Your most holy image. I thank You for that. I know that You are with me and that You have been closest to me during these trials. For that I sing Your praises, Your glory, Your honor. I pray for the weak in faith, who know neither You nor Your glorious ways. May they come to know You without having to writhe in trials as I have. Spare them by letting me serve as their example. Bless the good earth, dear Lord, and bless all your creatures therein. Amen.”

The angel was so moved by Joe’s prayers that he sat there and just looked gleefully upon Joe’s exalted countenance. The angel, realizing that there was no need now to whisper in Joe’s ear (as Joe had already grasped the mystery of the Father in Heaven), instead summoned a beautiful monarch butterfly to perch outside Joe’s bedroom window. As it was a beautiful spring morning, the sun shining effulgently through the early morning atmosphere, Joe could see clearly through his window pane to one of the main branches of the oak tree across from his room. Suddenly, Joe saw the beautiful orange and black winged creature. His heart pounded gleefully as he now knew he had confirmed empirically what his faith had known all along theoretically. For many years ago, Joe read the story of a man who had gone through some trials but never relinquished his faith. In the story, the man was told by an angel that when he saw a beautiful butterfly on a clear spring morning, that that would be the sign that his trials would be over. When Joe read that story he was touched. He identified so well with the character that he said in his contemplation, “Lord, send me a butterfly, just like in this story."

That request was made more than twenty years ago. I guess some things—especially the good things—are just worth waiting for. God bless.

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