Ask and It Will Be Given To You

“Ask and It Will Be Given to You; Seek and You Will Find; Knock and the Door Will be Opened to You”

Real Life Takes a Page from West Side Story

Growing up as one of seven children in a household run by a mother who was an English teacher, we were often encouraged to read.  This she felt was necessary to stimulate the mind, enhance our knowledge and expand our vocabulary.  But looking back I suspect it may have been more about bringing tranquility to a house that was often found in chaos.  Either way it did produce a sense of joy to be completely engrossed within the confines of a good story with a plot that thrills with passion and excitement.

Classic movies were also encouraged.  In our house, musicals often ruled the day.  “Camelot”, “Gigi”, “Oklahoma!”, “Singin’ in the Rain”, “South Pacific” and “Yankee Doodle Dandy” were some of our mother’s favorites.  And of course, all of us were big fans of “The Sound of Music” and “West Side Story”.  For me, the roles of Maria played by Julie Andrews and Natalie Wood respectively, were mesmerizing, and filled with grace and beauty.

There is a famous scene from West Side Story, where the two main characters, Maria, and Tony, first catch sight of each other.  Although within a crowded room with loud music and dancing, their eyes lock and everyone and everything around them becomes a blur.  All they see is each other and as they approach one another, touch hands, and gently kiss, they immediately fall in love.

That type of imagery works well within the boundaries of a fictional story that seeks to provide an escape for the viewer.  It’s a chance to be immersed within the depths of a human experience that delivers so much of an emotional lift and a lasting impression, that you want so much for it to be true.

The cynical side of us might say that fictional stories very rarely present what is true in life.  It’s all just fantasy.  As uplifting as it may be, when the book or the movie ends, the story ends.  But good stories are precisely that because they do imitate life and present real-life possibilities.  Don’t believe it?

Let me tell you a story.

At the age of 19, I was already searching for my soulmate.  Having been raised by a mother and a father who were both devout Catholics and having attended a Catholic grammar school and high school, I took my faith seriously.  When I heard Jesus declare in Matthew 7:7, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you”, I took that to heart.  I knew he meant what he said.  And so, I asked.

Each night before falling asleep, I would offer a fervent prayer from the heart asking Our Lord to direct me to the one person that according to his most holy will, he had planned for me to marry.  Mysteriously, each day following my nightly prayer, I was confronted by my mother, a daily communicant, reminding me that I had not been to the dentist in quite some time, and that I needed to make an appointment.  She knew nothing of my nightly prayer or who may be working at the dentist office.  But she was clearly being directed by Our Lord to insist that I go to the dentist.

Now you must understand, I hated with a passion anything having to do with me sitting in a dentist’s chair, having my teeth examined, deathly afraid that the subsequent action would most certainly involve a long Novocain needle followed by a high intensity drill boring through a tooth attached to my head, yielding protracted, eye-tearing pain.  Simply sitting in the waiting room, hearing the dentist cutting through the tooth enamel of a helpless victim was enough to make me want to run for the exit.  Therefore, I conveniently and consistently dismissed my mother’s directives not thinking even for a moment that they may have been an answer to my prayer.  This went on for several days and nights, my nightly prayer, and her daytime insistence.  No longer able to endure the daily barrage, I relented.  “Alright Mom! I’ll go to the dentist!”

What happened next, I can only describe through the lens of the scene from West Side Story.  Seated in a crowded waiting room, distracting my fears with a Sports Illustrated article, I lifted my eyes to hear my name called by an absolute angel.  Dressed all in white, with beautiful blonde flowing hair, stood the prettiest girl I had ever seen.  Just as in West Side Story, everyone, and everything around me instantly became a blur and all I saw was her.  Her hazel eyes were dazzling and as she looked at me, I couldn’t help but notice a gentle, comforting smile envelop her face as if to project a sense of approval.  Our initial chat was short lived, interrupted by the dentist who proceeded to populate my mouth with so many cotton gauze rolls, that it became impossible for us to continue our conversation.  No matter.  I had already experienced her kindness, warmth and charm, and any subsequent pain I had to endure was quelled by the delight of staring at her stunning profile for the remainder of my visit.

Although I left with a swollen face, unable to speak, I knew without any doubt that this was an answer to my prayer.  It’s a powerful experience when you first find yourself in the presence of your soulmate.  God makes it crystal clear that this is the person he has chosen for you.  From that moment on, my prayer changed to a deep desire to marry this most wonderful woman.

Fortunately for me, I needed quite a bit of work, and so my biweekly visits cemented our relationship.  But my shy nature postponed our first date until it became completely obvious that she was waiting for me to ask.  I found out later that when we first met, she had the same feelings for me as I for her.  In fact, she had a pre-arranged agreement with the dentist that when I arrived, she was to have 15 minutes alone to converse with me before the dentist was allowed to enter the room.  When I finally found the courage to ask, she of course responded with a “yes”.  Jubilant to my core as I arrived for my next visit, the receptionist revealed to me that if I had come to the office one more time, without asking her friend for a date, she was going to trip me as I walked out the door.  Apparently they were all in on it.  As I said, God makes it crystal clear, even if he has to trip you for you to come to your senses.

And as you may have surmised, my second prayer was also answered.  42 years, 6 children and 8 grandchildren later, my wife is still the most amazing, loving, beautiful woman I know.  Our lives are a miracle and as we observe our entire family when we are all together, we can’t help but smile at what God has accomplished by bringing two people together from the humble confines of a dentist office.  There was no way for us to completely comprehend so many years ago, what God truly had planned for us.  Now, looking back, we know with certainty how His hand was ever present, guiding and shaping our lives all these years according to His Most Holy Will.  And still His hand continues to do so.

Before concluding, I sense that there may be one more piece of information that you might like to know, her name!  When God does something, he does it to perfection.  So, of course, her name is, Maria!  And what was my family’s reaction when I first revealed to them that I had just met someone very special to me whose name was Maria?  That’s right.  You guessed it.  They all broke out in song, in unison, singing, “Maria.  I’ve just met a girl named Maria.  And suddenly that name will never be the same to me.”

This is being sent out to all those faithful of God, who with a humble heart, are still searching and hoping to one day soon, meet their forever soulmate, that one person, made for them, who hopefully is as faithful as they are, and who God has willed for them.  Don’t ever lose hope.  He hears your prayers and sees your occasional tears.  He will respond and his response will not be late.

It is my sincere hope that we never underestimate the awesome plans that God has for each one of us.  The key to it all is for us, with sincere hearts, to surrender ourselves to His Divine Will.  If we do that, then we will know with certainty that when Our Lord says, “Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you”, he means it!