Is it that the chair you are about to sit in will hold you? Is it about the air we breath will keep us alive? Is it about the trust we have in family and friends? The word with is often associated with God and religion.1 a : allegiance to duty or a person b (1) : fidelity to one's promises (2) : sincerity of intentions
2 a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust .
I want to talk about Faith in a different way, Faith is what to do and say. How to say it and how to act in faith. Do friends and family take you at your word? Are you trust worthy? Can you be counted on? Do you get call asking for help? Not to be taken advantage of, but good old fashion help? Is you name the first one that comes to mind, when a favor is needed?
I try to be that person, and most all of my friends and family are that person. When my sons Jerry, Lee, ThomE and Jonathan were growing up, I would explain to them a brother will be the one to pick you up when you fall, literately and figuratively One time Thom E fell on the job and Jerry was there to be at the hospital when they put his knee back in place. It was Thom E that helped Jonathan when he got out of the Navy. Jonathan asked Lee to be God Father for his first son. That is counting on someone and having faith in them to do the right thing.
I was an only child so it was my friends I turned to. I could tell almost at once who could be trusted, so I picked just a few friends for my life journey. As we grow older and move across the country I found I could still count on them. They could not jump in a car and be by my side but they offered good advice, and that sometimes is more important.
One time I had the option to be angry at my former Travel Agent partner for lying about me to my attorneys in my auto accident case, or forgive her. The attorneys told her she would be put on the stand and be held for perjury for her confronted lies. I told them not to do it, a friend told me I should not be angry, just to pray for her and forgive her. I did, to the shock of my family and lawyers. It gave me peace and helped me heal.
I do have faith in God as well, as most of us do. I believe He is a good and loving God. I did not blame Him when Jonathan's son Nathaniel was so sick. Instead I felt God trusted us so much in the care of Nathaniel, we were blessed to have him in our lives for 14 months. Nathaniel was know of in all parts of the United States because of word of mouth. He was prayed for loved from Massachusetts to California. A small boy in a big world brought faith back to hundreds of people.
I want to share one more piece of faith with you. When I first heard I was going to be a grandmother for the first time, I was not thrilled. My husband Thom was born to be a Gramps, he was collecting Disney Videos for years. I on the other hand was always planing our next trip. I confided to my friends how I felt, and they didn't fault me, they listened and said I would find a comfortable way to be a grandmother. Soon after Thom and I were sitting on a plane going home when a very nice looking lady came and sat next to us. I am nosy so I struck up a conversation with her. She was on her way to Orlando to speak at and AARP convention. She told me her name was Lillian Carson and she was talking to the convention about Grand parenting. About Dr. Lillian Carson http://www.essentialgrandparent.com. WOW did I need to talk to her. Talk about God handing me an answer. I had faith I would be a good grandmother, she showed me how to be a Grand grandmother.
Faith is important to us, in the why we have it and the way we give it. Share yours with the ones that need more and get yours from they ones that have it to give.
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Comments: 14
Haha, I'm sorry - I just had to say that. ;o)
At the same time, probably because of the experiences mentioned, I saw the universe in it's entirety as one of dog eat dog, where the big fish ate the little fish, survival of the fittest. I knew in my own mind that regardless of what others said mockingly about 'little green men' ... that there had to be other intelligent life forms in our universe ... and unfortunately they would probably one day 'find' us here on planet earth and have their way with us ... I mean why would they ever be 'nice' to us in 'such' a universe as I had thus far experienced.
I used to get really pissed off when I heard of our scientists beaming radio signals into outer space for those potential 'beings' to receive and home in on us with ... I saw it as ringing the dinner bell ... so they could come and 'eat' us.
This ingrained 'distrust' of the 'officialdom', our 'authorities', gave me little reason to trust in general ... thus I became relatively self sufficient as an INdividual ... I never much trusted others in general so I did not seek others to rely upon ... yet I did always try and give the benefit of the doubt and treat others with respect and honour my own word so as to be trustworthy just in case they 'deserved' it ... and most 'normal' people around me seemed to be deserving ... yet by the examples I had seen of those that 'claimed' the most along those lines, I was always somewhat wary of everyone. It eventually became somewhat debilitating though to me ... the seeming lack of being able to trust and relax around others in life ... it depressed me in many ways ... seriously.
That contributed greatly to my 'mid life crisis' ... which I eventually was able to escape from only by seeking God ... but that only AFTER finding a description of God other than what religions had supplied ... Joseph Campbell supplied that to me as a 'concept' that was common to all peoples of all lands that he had extensively studied ... all had this ONE commonality that I suspected that A God should stand for ... one of UNITing everyone ... NOT that which 'orthodox' religions seemed in my experience to be causing their adherents (FAITHful followers) to FIGHT over and DIVIDE due to differences.
Thus WHEN I found my (and your) REAL God ... I found IT to be based upon UNIVERSAL UNITY, of UNconditional Love and absolute Truth ... a UNIVERSAL principle ! Not one of family and friends FIRST especially, but one of the commonality and PROMISE of ALL being thus related as our brothers and sisters ... each and every one !
So now I utilize that 'larger' vision, that IS what God stands for to me now, the totality of mankind and our potential peace and reunification at an Omega that is promised WHEN we all come to this REALization.
It is the smaller picture of only being able to trust those the very closest to you, relatives and selected friends first ... enlarging that to groups, communities and eventually nation (or 'church') ... there with great 'patriotism' ... often with the much lesser 'nationalism' ... sometimes very willing to fight and die for on the killing fields of war ... such does NOT allow the larger picture that I speak of as having the deserved potential reality that the 'acts' (though noble in purpose) of the smaller picture produce.
It is like which came first, the chicken or the egg ... I guess it depends upon your perception and which answer better 'fits' your 'idea' ... which better fits 'our' idea of faith ? ... faith ... OR ... FAITH ? ... they each are a part of each other and either can lead to the other ... but best done when the greater FAITH of the universe IS allowed. ... and once known, it can be no 'other' way.
Peace comes from hearing the Spirit Calling
He has helped me to get through many tough
situations; and I thank Him each day for His
help. I am a grandma {15} grands {7} great
grands, and it is simply the best feeling of joy
I could ever ask for. I know that you both will
be loving grandparents. Thanks