How's Your Faith?

"As for me, I am poor and needy,
but the Lord takes thought for me.
You are my help and my deliverer;
do not delay, O my God."

-Psalm 40:17

"How's your faith?" Speaking about our faith traditions can be a touchy subject for some folks. Yet, for me, it often brings about some of the most thought-provoking discussions that I can remember. And what's even more thought-provoking is how these discussions come about. I cannot count the number of times that a conversation has circled around to faith during my time at Shenandoah. I have found similar and dissimilar viewpoints to my own. Yet in each of those conversations, I found that I was always able to learn something about my own faith beliefs than I realized before. Funny how that works, isn't it?

Let's face it, folks. We tend to rely on our faith more during the times of struggle and strife than we do during the times of joy and jubilation. It is when we seemingly have nowhere else to turn that we remember our faith. Does that make sense? That's how it is for me, even one who has been baptized in the faith of Christ for many years. I still have to be reminded of the importance of my faith each and every day. 

If I may, I will be candid with you and say that the past few months have been a struggle for me. I do not like change; yet I continually find that change is seemingly the only constant in this life. The moment that you become comfortable in a certain circumstance or situation, everything changes. Perhaps that's God's way of keeping us on our toes!

Over the past few months, I've had to say goodbye to some wonderful people in my life. No, they haven't passed on; they've simply moved on to life's next chapter. These are people I've become very close with, and yet they have gone their own way. Sure, I remain in close contact with these folks, but there's something about close human contact. A handshake, a warm embrace. These are the things that we as humans naturally gravitate toward. 

Why is it then that a video call will not suffice for the actual presence of someone? Because they are not fully present. There's something about having someone in the same room. They're here, and they're not going anywhere. Know what I mean?

We treat relationships as conveniences not privileges. In some cases, we call on people when it is convenient for us - you know, when we need something. Otherwise, they are not on our radar; they are not needed in our life. We discount the value of someone's presence simply for the sake of better things that need doing. We fail to realize that our actions do have implications and ramifications upon not only our own lives, but upon the lives of others. Why do we treat each other so? Why do we place such a low value on being in the presence of others? 

That brings me back to my original point. For some folks, you may find my talk of faith silly, and it's understandable that you may not understand where I come from. I get that. But it's during these times of transition in my life that I have come to further realize that the One in whom we place our faith is truly the only constant in this life. I also believe that God Himself has a wonderful plan for our lives - struggles and all. 

It is my faith that keeps me grounded during each of life's seasons - the good, the bad, and ugly. While nothing lasts forever, I just have to keep believing that God's love for me remains constant. For many, that might sound silly, but for me, it's the truth. Not because I've been told to believe it, but because I've chosen to believe it. God never promised us all good days, but He did promise that He would see us through each and every day of our lives. It's up to us to place our faith in the right things. 

For now, I am thankful for those dear people that God allowed to share a piece of life with. Dear friends, take time to be in the presence of those whom you consider to be close. One never knows what tomorrow may hold; let us make the best of today. May we come to appreciate the relationships that we have with one another.