JFileChooser seems to be running, but not showing

Question

I'm trying to create a program that involves the use of JFileChooser so that a user may give the program a file's path for manipulation. When I attempt to launch the JFileChooser, nothing appears and the programs pauses (or rather it seems that it is pausing). I feel that the JFileChooser is running, but not showing up graphically. I'm even getting a Java program icon in my application tray when it runs, something I only get when I run graphical programs. I've clicked it and checked for available windows under the running application, but there are none. I have no idea why this is the case. My code, even though it's very similar to that of tutorials I've found online, is:

final JFileChooser userFile = new JFileChooser();
int response = userFile.showOpenDialog(null);
if (response == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION)
   fileName = userFile.getSelectedFile().toString();
else
   fileName = "The file open operation failed.";

MCVE:

import lots of stuff;

public class zipCracker {

    private static String fileName;

    public static void main(String[] args){
        String[] buttons = {"Cancel", "zDictionaryForm", "zZipCracker"};

        int rc = JOptionPane.showOptionDialog(null,
                                              "Which program would you like to use?",
                                              "Program Directory",
                                              JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE,
                                              0, null, buttons, buttons[0]);
        if(rc == 2)
            zZipCracker();
        else if(rc == 1)
            System.exit(0);
        else
            System.exit(0);
    }

    public static String zZipCracker(){
        final JFileChooser userFile = new JFileChooser();
        int response = userFile.showOpenDialog(null);
        if (response == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION)
            fileName = userFile.getSelectedFile().toString();
        else
            fileName = "The file open operation failed.";


        //ZipFile zipper = new ZipFile(userFile);
        return "";
    }
}

Answer 1

It seems that making the JFileChooser object global, private, and static solved my issue. I have no idea where the difference between declaring it in the method and declaring it globally is, but it works.

import stuff;

public class zipCracker {

    private static String fileName;
    private static JFileChooser userFile = new JFileChooser(); //now declared globally

    public static void main(String[] args){
        String[] buttons = {"Cancel", "zDictionaryForm", "zZipCracker"};

        int rc = JOptionPane.showOptionDialog(null,
                                              "Which program would you like to use?",
                                              "Program Directory",
                                              JOptionPane.WARNING_MESSAGE,
                                              0, null, buttons, buttons[0]);
        System.out.println(rc);
        if(rc == 2)
            zZipCracker();
        else if(rc == 1)
            System.exit(0);
        else
            System.exit(0);
    }

    public static String zZipCracker(){
        int returnVal = userFile.showDialog(null, "Choose This"); //used without being declared here in the method
        if (returnVal == JFileChooser.APPROVE_OPTION)
            fileName = userFile.getSelectedFile().toString();
        else
            fileName = "The file open operation failed.";


        //ZipFile zipper = new ZipFile(userFile);
        return "";
    }
}