Faith...

How can we have complete trust and confidence in something or someone? How can we trust God when we cannot see him? We can see his workings, we can see his love and goodness, but we cannot see him. How are we supposed to trust someone we cannot see? How can we have faith when the world around us is falling apart? Faith is difficult to define. Faith is sometimes difficult to have. Faith is not about knowing the answers though, faith is about trusting; we trust in God because we know he’s there even if we can’t see him. We know he’s around us, protecting us, loving us, we just can’t physically see him. Faith is giving up control of your life and giving it to someone else, to God. Faith is trust. Faith is love.

For some people having faith comes easy; for others it is far more difficult. For some, like me, it’s hard because my head and my heart rarely seem to agree on something. My heart has faith; my heart believes that things will work out; my heart believes that God is in control and he has a plan, even if we can’t see it now. My head, on the other hand, does not; it has a mind of its own and likes to think way too much. If you know me well, you know this; you know my mind is constantly moving, it rarely ever wants to rest. My head likes to over think things. My heart has peace, but my head does not.

During times like these, times of the unknown, the scary, the complicated, my head tends to overpower my heart.  My over thinking overpowers the peace in my heart. It’s hard right now to have faith; to trust God and to trust that his plan is the right one when deep down my head doesn’t think it is. My head wants to know why; why this, why now, why again, why my family, why my mom. Those whys overpower the peace in my heart; it makes my heart restless.

A longtime family friend came a couple weeks ago to visit and spend time with my mom; as I stood crying in her arms, I kept asking why. She said to stop asking God why; he knows why, so we don’t have to; he has a plan, even if we can't see it; we will all learn something and grow from this hard time; we will all make it through; we will all come out on the other end stronger than before; we will all become closer to each other and to God. Faith is about trust.

A friend of my mom’s gave me this verse a week ago: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12. I have heard/read this verse many times over the years, but hearing it now was what I really needed. I need to be joyful in my hope for his plan to be a good one; I need to be joyful as I await his plan for my future. I need to be patient in times like these because God is working. I need to be faithful in prayer; God knows my hearts desires.

I am not saying that my heart isn't hurting, because trust me is a lot; I am saying my heart is more at peace than my head; my heart trusts God more than my head right now. I am still working on having faith during this difficult time, but my heart knows God has a plan, so I am trusting him that this plan will be a good one. Eventually my head will follow too.

 

“God is good, all the time.”

"For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow." James 1:3

“Faith is reason grown courageous.” Sherwood Eddy

“Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” J.R.R. Tolkien

“Every tomorrow has two handles.  We can take hold of it by the handle of anxiety, or by the handle of faith.” Author Unknown

 "Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Hebrews 11:1

“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.” Martin Luther King Jr.

“Faith makes things possible, not easy.” Author Unknown

"Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." Lamentations 3:23

“Faith can move mountains, but don't be surprised if God hands you a shovel.” Author Unknown

“Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death.” Author Unknown