“Dear Lord, if this is how You treat Your friends, it is no wonder You have so few!”
I love this quote from St. Teresa of Avila. It always makes me smile. I think it is a very honest, down-to-earth, and a little sassy response to having been thrown off her horse on the way to visiting a convent. St. Teresa had sense of humor, something she didn't mind sharing with God during their conversations.
I think her response is a very typical reaction to how many of us may look at the difficulties in our lives. Often when things go wrong we turn to God and basically say “thanks a lot”. When we are trying so hard to be good Christians, we may feel that God should do a better job at shielding us from the pain and disappointments of life. I think that is pretty natural response. Unlike some of us, God is not a control freak. He really respects the gift of free will that He has given each of us, and I’m sure some of the consequences of this gift disappoint Him as well. While He does not shield us from every pain, He does bless us with graces to help us. Sometimes we are too busy being mad to see the help He has sent us. Often it is through the kind words of support from a friend, a hug from our spouse or children, or an unexpected compliment or smile from a stranger. God is always in our midst touching the hearts and minds of those near to us to come to our aid. God is actually the best friend we will ever have and my hope is that one day He introduces me to St. Teresa in heaven by saying, “Hey Theresa, I’d like you to meet a good friend of mine.”
-Susan
