Oh, great.
As I approached my car, I saw it.
The dent, scraped paint, and two-inch black mark shone like a beacon beneath the afternoon sun. Someone had hit my driver’s side door, and of course, didn’t bother leaving a note.
I’d been in the mall less than two hours.
I suspected the culprit was the maroon car with black door guard—the same car I’d pulled in next to, leaving plenty of room for the driver to negotiate her parking space.
Had the deals I snagged been worth it?
Hmm. Had to think about that one.
I socked my packages into the trunk and wondered if the offender even gave a second thought about her actions or if she was just glad she didn’t get caught.
And, okay. I prayed that the person who hit my vehicle would be so convicted she’d lose her appetite…or maybe a night’s sleep. Then I promptly drove home, and wonder of wonders, my beloved used a little soap and elbow grease to erase the black smudge and door guard stripes. (It did nothing for the dent or scraped paint so we’ll still have to take care of those, but the deed was really small potatoes in the grand scheme of things.)
That was last week. The same week I wrote the blog post Why Joy Matters. Ahh…the irony.
See how the enemy loves to steal, kill, and destroy our mindset? (John 10:10) His mission is solely to take the spring out of our step and suck us dry. He revels in upheaval and chaos.
Just like our joy, our faith can take a hit, too. Faith in the “right thing” and faith in humanity.
I contemplated that one over the weekend when someone revealed a poor choice. It’s a choice that has far-reaching consequences and one that makes my heart ache.
When we’re blindsided by the unexpected, it’s only human to examine our core beliefs. To explore those hard places.
It’s rarely fun, and certainly, not pretty.
It’s necessary.
And sometimes, when our faith-boat tips over, all we can do is cling. Cling with both hands, feet, and maybe even, teeth. Cling to beauty and what we know is truth because…
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see…” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV)
Today if you’re clinging to faith in your hard place, remember you’re not alone.
Remember, others are where you’re at. You (we) don’t have to have it all figured out.
It’s enough to know God does.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV)
We’ll still ache over others’ missteps, but we’ll muddle through as we envision the bigger picture.
Hoping for the best.
And praying about the rest.
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Examining hard places and what we know to be true. 60-second recharge. (Click-to-Tweet)
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ADDITIONAL ENCOURAGEMENT
Hope: 20 Reasons to Throw Open Your Windows
Has faith played a role when you’ve navigated difficulties?
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Much Love and Many Blessings,
Comments 2
Great post, and sorry about the car!
I find that I have an easier time with faith, being a card-carrying Vulcan. I use logic.
1) The idea of an uncreated ‘creation’ is statistically inadmissible. To have gone from the theoretical ‘singularity’ of the Big Bang to what we see today, the level of complexity taken to the micro, and consciousness…it doesn’t wash.
2) Evolution doesn’t wash, either. Over thousands of generations, we’ve seen fruit flies adapt…but there is absolutely no indication of a fruit fly turning into anything OTHER than a fruit fly. Ugh. (And we don’t see that in the fossil record, either.)
3) The veracity of the OT is being proven, at least back to David’s time, by archaeology and secondary sources. The veracity of the NT is not in doubt; Jesus’ life WAS mentioned in contemporaneous accounts.
4) The behaviour of the Apostles after Jesus’ death and resurrection is inexplicable unless they were either a) crazy, or b) being true to something real. Dying for a belief in something you know or suspect to be false is madness, and there is nothing to indicate that any of them were nutcases.
I’m not one who has had the personal relationship with Jesus. I wish I did! But I believe that He was and is God incarnate, the second person of the Trinity, and took all sins on Himself as a ransom…because logic tells me that the story can be nothing but true.
And now, in the darkness of pain ad dread, that logic is a light of comfort, and shows the way home.
Author
Andrew, loved your comment. Logic, yes!
Now, about a personal relationship with Jesus. I see so much of Christ in you, my friend. In your thoughtful demeanor toward others. Your sensitivity. Your Christ-like compassion. Your convictions and mindset.
A personal realtionship with our Savior (to me) means connecting with him on an intimate level, on a daily—sometimes, minute by minute basis. For instance—I talk with Him constantly about the silly, mundane, and yes—the the huge concerns, as well. A relationship with God’s son doesn’t mean we have to be theologians who speak eloquently and spout big words and endless passages of scripture on a whim. It simply means we communicate, share, and love one another with no pretenses every day, every minute as we muddle through our day. We’re cognizant of who Jesus is, but we’re not deterred by his holiness (if that makes sense). He’s our best friend, confidante, advisor, chastiser, and lover of our soul. I don’t understand how it all works, granted. But I trust it.
I think the more we delve into the scripture, the closer our relationship because I think God begins to reveal things in a new way. Maybe even the same thing we’ve read a dozen times.
Thanks so much for your honesty.