faith [feyth]
1.confidence or trust in a person or thing:
2. belief that is not based on proof:
faith [feyth]This year, I have chosen the words Faith and Trust to guide me. Both words because they are so intertwined in one another one can’t stand on it’s own.
Last year, as with other seasons in my life, I became afraid. 2014 was a year filled with many transitions, challenges and new experiences. All situations that brought about fear for the planner I am. Fear- to fail, to be judged, to be seen as unworthy, to regress…
As many can relate, I’d go into default mode of trying to control what I could to succeed, have good reputation, and live with excellence. Perfect. Perform. Please. (If that doesn’t stress you out just reading that unconscious goal, read it again.)
But, there is a rather large problem with being in control. The problem? It’s impossible.
Impossible? Really you ask? After all we had the control to shower, get dressed and drive ourselves to work today by choice and will. But what we don’t often realize is that’s a sense of control. It is a surface of control.
For example: Did you will yourself to wake up this morning? To breathe in and out just now? To send your blood pumping through your veins? We all know the answer to those questions. In full reality, we are not in charge. Uncertainty is all around us and if we are honest, we don’t have control of the next 5 years, 5 months or even 5 seconds.
And that’s where Faith comes in.
Uncertainty may be prevalent, but so is Faith. Everyday we exercise faith without even stopping to realize it. Faith that we will wake up. Faith our cars will go. Faith our computers will turn on, our bodies will digest food, the ground will hold us up… Faith is everywhere if we look for it. Faith is how we handle uncertainty.
So what happens when we live without it? If we live as if we can manage everything? That’s where anxiety creeps in. If we need to be in control and manage all of those things that ultimately we cannot, we will be destined to come up short. God never made us to be anything other than our unique beloved selves held up by Him everyday.
So with this beautiful messy and magnificent dilemma of life we find ourselves in, what can we do? We can believe. Have Faith. Trust the One who is in utter control. Learn what Faith in the face of uncertainty looks like. It will not be easy. It will always be an act of courage.
I picked these words of Faith and Trust for 2015 because I need them. I need, like you need, to know how to trust the God of the universe who is on my side, at all times, in all places.
My grandmother just passed away a few days ago. Where did she go? Where is she now? What happened to her loving spirit? No one can really know by evidence or proof. But we all can be certain by Faith. Faith in God’s true, firm forever promises.
Faith is all we need.
This year, my prayer is to learn God’s promises more intimately and by Faith stand on them firmly. To trust in God more fully than I ever have and to let Him hold me up instead of the two legs and one strong-willed heart I was trusting in before.
May this be a Year of Faith.
Will you join me?
What words will lead your year?
