Sometimes when the world comes tumbling down around you, you just have to go back to your child hood and have the blind faith of a child again. I'm talking about that faith and trust that our parents instilled within us - the kind that made us so innocent. Of course, having this blind fath and trust doesn't mean everything will automatically be flowers and candy. If we're at rock bottom, our faith tells us there's nowhere to go but up. Come what may, things will get better no matter how low we feel.
One thing I've learned is that change is constant. No matter if the change is good or bad, there's something going on in our busy lives. We may not always see or feel these changes, but they are there, pushing us onward.
These changes mold us into the people we are, no matter what age we are. Our friends, our co-workers, our family all mold and shape us in ways we can never fully understand. And when we lose faith and trust, we never see the faults within us - we place the blame elsewhere even when it's on us.
For those of us who have been hurt or been through loss, we start to wonder if we should put our faith in anything again. God doesn't always answer our prayers like we want Him to, but He does answer them based on our faith and strength in Him. Maybe our faith wavers in the bad times - or maybe it's stronger. And maybe we forget to have faith during the good times. But God forgives us when we doubt him.
We have to remember that even a small amount of faith can move mountains. As long as our faith is there, we can get through the hardships we have to face. And we can smile with joy in our hearts through the mountaintops God has blessed us with. Our trials, our mountains are there to help us be strong and once we make it to the top and start down the other side, we are able to enjoy the beauty that is God.
At the end of the journey, God always welcomes us home. He tells us "come to me all you who are heavy and laden and I will give you rest." He never fails us. He carries us when we think we can't go any more. He gives us the wonderful people in our lives who stand by us and offer us comfort and support. Without all the blessing of life that we are given each day, we would never wake up, breathe, walk, talk or feel. Even through our darkest hours, we have to have faith we'll make it through the storms of life.
I know faith isn't something we think about or talk about very often. We think more about love or trust, but when it comes down to it all three are connected. I know there are a handful of people I absolutely trust with my life. But those I do trust, are the most important people in my life. I might not always say I love them, but I hope they know I always will.
I think we get so busy that we forget those lessons our parents taught us about faith. That faith is a wonderful thing even in the worst of times. Faith, hope and love keep us balanced - one without the other in any form for ourselves, we lose out on having these for other people in our lives.
I know every time I lost someone - my father, my mother, my aunt, my uncle and even cousins - that my faith would waver. Like everyone else, I'd wonder why. Why couldn't there be a miracle for any one of them to still be here. But now, looking back, they were all miracles in my life. I was the miracle child for my parents. My mom was my best friend and example. Sure, her faith wavered, just as mine has done. She lost two husbands and had a child to raise alone. But she always showed me her faith in God was secure. My Uncle Clyde was always at church every time the doors were open. His faith and dedication in the Lord showed me so much though he lost both of his sisters. He pushed onward and looked after me as much as I looked after him. My Aunt Gloria was the same. Her faith knew no bounds.
I've seen people lose faith completely after losing a loved one. I've seen their faith increase during a battle with a serious illness. I've seen how families grow closer together after a loss and I've seen families torn apart. It's all about how they deal with the loss. Those with faith know they can make it through. I know for me it was the support from my family and friends and my faith in the knowledge that I will see my parents, aunt and uncle again that got me through the grief. Grief is overwhelming. It's possibly the hardest emotion to bear - even your body knows your heart and soul are being torn from the loss. The emptiness and numbness last for a long time and you are forever changed.
Though we know we can't live forever on this earth, each loss touches us. Death is final - but if we believe in God, it's only final for this earth. We may not fully understand what lies ahead after we leave this earth, but we know through our blind faith that it's better than all the toll and strife of this moral life.
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