I’m going to give you a bit of perspective on how bad the loss of your internship is (or, more likely, isn’t) while I share with you a true, and very personal story.
I grew up with God, but not Catholic or really going to church. But I was biblically literate, and God was in my life to some degree. I carried this poor, but present, relationship with God into my adulthood. God was there, but I didn’t really talk to him much, and certainly didn’t let him guide me.
My first career was search and rescue. Saw a lot of bad stuff, but oh well, things happen. Then one night we launched on something potentially really bad. I prayed to God to let everything turn out okay. It wasn’t. Instead of turning out okay, it turned out to be about the worse situation I could have imagined. Hundreds of innocent people died, including an entire high school class.
I got mad at God. I rarely prayed, but the one time I did, it didn’t help. And I certainly asked myself the same question you asked: “Why would God let this happen?” Yeah, free will allows people to make bad decisions, but those kids were completely and totally innocent. Why does God let disasters happen? I just couldn’t wrap my head around a loving God allowing such terrible things to happen.
So I kicked God further out of my life, and my life got worse for it.
Fast forward 15 years and I’m retiring from that career and divorcing. I met a wonderful Catholic woman who introduces me to the Church and I feel right at home. We break up, so I find a different parish and I inquire about RCIA. A sister at that parish talks with me at great length about my relationship with God. She doesn’t try to answer that question for me, just tells me to think about it. I am sitting in the RCIA class going over the readings for the day which is about Jesus healing the man who had been blind since birth. (John 9:3 I think).
The Disciples are questioning Jesus about “what sin did the parents have that caused their son to be born blind” since, at the time, the communal thinking was that bad things happen because of sin. This was at a time when being born blind was possibly WORSE than dying, as you became a life-long burden on your family.
But Jesus responded to the Disciples that the man was born blind so that the Grace of God can be shown.
I totally lost it in my RCIA class. Right in front of about 20 people I barely knew.
I suddenly was able to wrap my head around one POSSIBLE reason why God allows terrible things to happen…so that His grace can be shown.
I’ve seen a lot of bad things, and I often see people in distress who turn to God in their troubles. I’ve seen people, and families, who I’m pretty sure haven’t prayed in years (or ever) suddenly drop to their knees and ask God for help.
I’m sure that many families who lost loved ones that night so long ago turned to God to help with their anguish.
So, long story short, why does God let absolutely horrific things happen? I don’t know. I’m not smart enough to know the mind of God. But, one possible reason (and I’m sure there are many more), is so that His grace can be shown.
Sucks you lost your intern job. Coulda been worse.
Wound up marrying that wonderful Catholic girl