Reaching someone who is happy

[OnlyAmbrose]

Greetings all,

These past months I’ve started two threads now in the “prayer intentions” forum for a close friend of mine who’s and atheist. We share a common interest in metaphysics, so the topic of religion comes up quite often, given how much we differ on it. We’ve been through most of the common arguments, cosmological, etc., but that’s not really my concern right now, hence I’m not posting this on the apologetics board.

Spiritually, I feel like evangelizing with this girl is like banging my head into a brick wall. She says that she’s happy as it is. And I actually believe her. She has a loving family, she’s well-liked, she’s not obnoxious (very sweet in fact), and she has a bright future. Materially, I can’t think of anything she lacks, and she’s quite secure emotionally. And I can tell when someone’s just pretending to be secure; this is the real deal.

That being said, I’m not sure how to convince a person that she needs Jesus when she’s not convinced that she needs anything more than what she already has. Of course, I know that there is a gaping hole in her life, but either she’s REALLY good at pretending to be genuinely content (which I doubt, because she doesn’t make a show about being content, it’s just apparent), or she really doesn’t feel an absence of anything in her life.

I’m praying for her, to be sure, but is there anything I can do or say to show her that she does need something more, as all men do?

 

[buffalo]

Ask her what she wants in life. As she answers keep asking “then”. This should take her to the end of her life and she will be faced with eternity. Being atheist she doesn’t believe in eternity, but th excercise has a way of seeing it another way. Maybe it will open a door.

 

[fhansen]

Jesus’ teaching about rich people having a hard time entering the kingdom of God applies here because the principle is about how people don’t bother with God when they feel self-sufficient-when they’ve never experienced anything which causes them to know their dependency on Him. In the Beatitudes Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor” and also “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Poverty in each case can humble us and turn us to God. But after the teaching regarding the rich man Jesus’ disciples want to know who can possibly enter the kingdom if the rich can’t and Jesus says, “For man nothing is possible but for God all things are possible.” It’s interesting that your friends’ an atheist but interested in metaphysics. That’s actually a good sign. In any case, you can’t force her to accept your beliefs but pray for her and speak of the faith when appropriate and leave the rest to God.

 

[Trishie]

Dear Ambrose, the memory of what you have said will stay with her and some day may be the trigger to her finding God, and perhaps it won’t happen until in some real way she is in need. If someone isn’t hungry, there’s no point in worrying if they don’t share in the feast. Hunger may yet come. Not that one wishes it on anyone. Ambrose, you know, I am sure, that God knows what is in everyone’s hearts and the goodness He sees will determine His"'judgement" even if she never appears to ‘find God’. Of course, we want everyone to share the riches of our Faith and of God’s love.

You have given the guideposts and the instructions for her to find her way to the feast. However, no one, no one can convince anyone to believe in God by sheer effort and prayer. It is so hard, I know. Faith is a gift of God.
I told you there was a time when I didn’t believe, only unlike Laura I wasn’t happy about it. However I couldn’t believe simply because I wanted to, but I did resist ‘kidding myself’. God found His own time and way…and would you believe that some American visiting Mormons supplied the trigger! This, along with the memory of a line in the gospels studied in primary school over a decade earlier, combined with a flood of grace, one morning in June. My husband, an agnostic, came home from work that afternoon to find me already returned to the Church, having already looked up and phoned the parish priest of the nearest Catholic Church for Reconciliation around 1.30 that day.

Certainly, I had prayed, “I can’t find You. Please find Ypurself to me, Power of Goodness and Love”, etc, certainly I wished for God, but I knew that faith had to come from God as my mind was too analytical to believe if it didn’t come from God, if it was only my decision.

Your friend doesn’t desire God, but dear Ambrose, you have planted seeds. You may not know, Ambrose, but we have native tree and bush seeds in Australia that do not germinate until wildfire fire passes through and burns them. So one can gather them and try to germinate them, but until the fire there is no hope of that. Actually even our kangaroos have an amazing way of arresting the growth of embrionic babies for up to three years during drought conditions. God’s ways with souls are no less amazing.

May God bless you for your caring, for your efforts, and your prayer for Laura. They wont be in vain…but will germinate in God’s time.

 

[Trishie]

Ambrose,
Bless Your love in those who do not know You!

God, thank You for Your mercy for those who do not know You or who marginalise You! Thank You that many people receive Your love without knowing its source, yet still reflect Your goodness by their good intentions and kindness towards others.

Each person will be individually and mutually precious to every one of us when we enter heaven. There we shall discover the true depths of divine love and the reality of our communion in You.
Thank You for sharing Your life with us, Your human creatures.

Thank You for offering redemption and eternal happiness to us. Forgive and heal our failures to acknowledge Your love and to honour our benevolent Creator and Redeemer. 2001

Loving others
God, through Your Spirit, please let me respond to others with Your sensitivity and compassion. Help me to listen, so that I hear both what is spoken and what it conceals of others’ needs.

Help me to recognise others’ unique personality and value. Help me to present to others the gift of themselves as You create and perceive them, so that they may come to see themselves in beautiful, humble trust, as cherished gifts of Your love.

I do not wish to curtail Your blessings to others through doubt, insensitivity or selfishness. Please grant others all the graces and support that You require for them. Despite my infidelities let me be Your love, blessing and response made sacramentally present to everyone in my life, whether I understand or not!

I cannot fathom Your vision of my life and theirs, but although my heart is sometimes bleak, I honour Your love and wisdom. Please mercifully complete what You have begun, granting us grace to submit, trustingly, contritely and joyfully to Your loving creative will.

In all my prayers, contacts and dealings let Your Spirit speak and respond in me to You. Thank You, God who loves us all.

Trishie

 

[tessi]

If someone isn’t hungry, there’s no point in worrying if they don’t share in the feast. Hunger may yet come.

I think this comment is very precise. Until you feel you lack something, you cannot want it. That lack may be unpleasent but if you pray and sacrifice for her, someday for sure, the rock will fall over her head and she will see.
Generally God converts people, apparentely very happy, through some misfortune.

 

[Et_Cetera]

If you try to indoctrinate her while she’s happy and make her unhappy, she will not take to religion kindly.