Following in Faith

"But God doesn't call us to be comfortable. He calls us to trust Him so completely that we are unafraid to put ourselves in situations where we will be in trouble if He doesn't come through." 
— Francis Chan 

"If you believe in a God who controls big things, you have to believe in a God who controls the little things. It is we, of course, to whom things look little or big." 
—Elizabeth Elliot

    There is one week left of 2021. It seems not so long ago we were making New Years cookies, staying up till midnight, updating our lists of resolutions, choosing our Word of the Year (mine was compose), and wondering just what the year would hold. Now it's almost over. There have been tragedies and there have been triumphs. Are we ready for 2022? What does "ready" really mean? 
    None of us know what the future holds. There may be some things we hope for, some we wish for, and some we dread, but in our humanness our predictions would likely be inaccurate. One word, however, has been on my heart for a while, and I wish to make this word a large part of my life this next year.
    It is the word faith.
    I don't have the wisdom to talk about all the intricacies of faith. Many of you understand it far better than I, but I want to learn more.
    We read of Noah, Abraham, and more in Hebrews 11. The songs of faith we have sung all through the Christmas season have hardly died away. Yet what does faith look like today? Is it possible to have a living faith? A faith that moves us to action?

    In our affluent times are we capable to have the kind of faith the men and women of old had? Or are we too reliant on our paycheck, our doctors' advice, our own ability to keep things together and logically reason things through? Do we still have a living faith?

    I have been inspired by some of the missionaries from the mid 1800's to mid 1900's and the amount of faith they possessed. I would love to speak to some of them today. Perhaps we would not share quite the same theology, but in reading their stories, I cannot help but believe God surely honored their faith.

    One of these was Amy Carmichael. She rescued over a thousand children from the temples of India and put in motion a work that is still carried on to this day. She was willing to leave her home in the British Isles and take up the language and dress of the Indian women, foraging new paths that others had not dared walk before her.

    Another was Hudson Taylor, who was convinced God was leading him to China. To his dismay, he was left penniless right before he should have departed. Then he became ill and was told he would die in a very short time. When he was miraculously made well, God answered his prayers and sent him on to China. Again and again he was able to eat only by answered prayer as he traveled the country sharing the story of salvation.

     With steadfastness and humor, Mary Slessor followed a trail blazed by David Livingstone into the heart of Africa where white women had never gone before. She stood in the midst of viscous customs armed only with an umbrella or her knitting. Her courage and faith eventually earned her the title "White Queen of the Cannibals."

    Don Richardson worked among the people of what is today known as Indonesia. He was horrified by the cruelty he encountered and the lack of respect for human life. He and his wife did not despair at the evil all around them, convinced God had sent them to this place.

    In the midst of World War II, Gladys Aylward strove to serve the people of China, arriving without a penny to her name. Although she found herself hauling mules into the courtyard of an inn, nursing wounded soldiers from either side of the fighting, seeing to the unbinding of girls' feet, and leading a hundred children across a rugged mountain terrain as the sole caregiver, she did not falter in her faith that this was God's work.

    Today, you and I are living in turbulent times. Much as these men and women from a hundred years ago, we also are called upon to have faith. We don't need so much faith— the Bible says a mustard seed should do.  

   There is faith to be found in many places. Faith to move to a different congregation, faith to volunteer at a unit, faith to step outside your comfort zone and start passing out tracts. Sometimes faith may mean being the quiet, steadfast servant in the background. 

    This year will be sure to challenge the faith of us all. That is often how life seems to work. Whether God calls you and me into a radical move of faith that takes us far from home, or a closer, quiet walk of faith where we spend more time in prayer is not important. What matters is that we are ready and willing for His direction when it comes. May we learn to grow and follow in faith together!

Books I've Enjoyed:

Peace Child by Don Richardson

Gladys Aylward, The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward with Christine Hunter

God's Adventurer by Phyllis Thompson (about Hudson Taylor)

Mary Slessor, Queen of Calabar by Sam Wellman

Amy Carmichael, Rescuer of Precious Gems by Janet & Geoff Benge

Missionary Stories with the Millers by Mildred A. Martin contains stories about Gladys Aylward, Hudson Taylor, and Amy Carmichael: "The Yellow River", "Too Busy Fishing", and "Temple Runaway."

If anyone has more recommended reading about people who followed in faith, please share in the comments or message me personally. I'd love to hear your suggestions!

    

     

    
    
     

Expectation Vs. Reality

     We've all read about it in books, heard about it in programs, and seen quotes on the front of Christmas cards: the perfect, peaceful Christmas. We have come to expect it. In our minds, we know exactly how the soft glow of lamplight and string lights should reflect off the mounds of pure snow. We hear joyful anthems ringing in the crisp, clear air while stars twinkle overhead, and know the carolers will soon be gathering inside somewhere, sipping cups of hot chocolate or wassel while little banners of steam rise from the mugs.
    We know exactly what delicious smells should come from the kitchen and how the children will try to sneak extra pieces of home made candy when no one is looking. There will be lots of laughter and sharing of memories, and of course someone will read in somber tones the story of the first Christmas from the book of Luke. 
    This is what we plan for— the gaily wrapped presents, the carefully planned car trips, the joyful reunion of friends and family. But then reality shows up and sometimes knocks us flat on our backs, because, you see, reality is cruel.
    Reality does not care about the perfect Christmas. Reality comes at Christmas to take loved ones into eternity. Reality burns the ham for Christmas dinner. Reality arrives in the form of hospital bills so large there is no chance of a road trip with the high price of fuel. Reality doesn't care if you can't afford the presents you would love to give. Reality is sometimes OK with families getting together, but often the truth is that being together doesn't mean there is perfect harmony. Reality means that people are selfish, and it also means it may rain while you are singing carols.
    There may not be time to make all the perfect Christmas goodies. We may find ourselves tired or stressed or depressed. Maybe it's all three. And suddenly, as we stand amidst the dishes piled high in the kitchen, the half-finished sewing spread across the table, and the remnants of gift-wrapping in the middle of the living room, we realize that Christmas isn't idealized family gatherings, delicious food, and Pinterest-worthy gift wrapping. 
    Christmas is a choice.
    Christmas has always been a choice.

    Mary chose to believe the words brought to her by the angel. Shepherds chose to leave their sheep scattered on the hillside and run to the stable. The wisemen chose to travel to a far away land, and when they found the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes rather than in royal robes in the palace, they still chose to worship Him as the newborn King. Joseph chose to flee as he was instructed into a foreign land under cover of the night.
    Today we also face a choice. Will we stubbornly cling to our ideas of a perfect Christmas, or will we accept the reality of the moment? The decision belongs to each one of us. Choosing reality does not in any way imperil the true meaning of Christmas— rather, it enhances it. The true Christmas Spirit, after all, has little to do with the perfect new dress or the ideal centerpiece. It has nothing to do with whether or not there is a mask mandate or how long we have to wait in line at Target.
    Instead, it lies in our ability to rely on God. In Him, we can live every moment choosing love over selfishness. We can determine to choose peace by way of trusting Him. We can choose joy by being thankful rather than entitled. 
    This is why Christmas does not need to be a season of unfulfilled expectations. Instead, Christmas can be a season of hope in every sincere heart. 

    Christmas is so much more than our circumstances. It is so much more than our expectations. There is every opportunity for the Christmas Spirit to become your reality, because Christmas is a choice to be kept by every believer, a choice to be made beautiful by the one who created Christmas in the first place. 

    And somewhere in the midst of accepting the dirty dishes, the difficult family gatherings, and the hand-me-down gifts, we also find, to our surprise, that Christmas once more has worked a miracle, and created in us the wealth of joy we thought we were missing. And it is possible you will even find your joy exceeds your expectations.
    Wishing you each a wonderful Holiday Season!