Faith's Heart

This morning I’m sipping from one of Faith’s coffee cups as I read the Word. If you knew Faith, you know how much she loved her coffee. You could find her sitting in her chair every morning with a cup of coffee in one hand and her Bible in her lap. It was her morning routine. Coffee and the Word.

Each of us have gifts given to us to serve others. Faith’s gift, I believe, was the gift of agape love and compassion. She brought joy to every person she came in contact with.

One of my gifts is writing. I don’t see it like others do, but Faith believed in my gift of writing. She reminded me a lot of that and she tended to turn to me when she needed help with writing something. This is why I push through my grief every morning to write this little piece. It’s the least I can do to use this gift given to me.

Today, consider the gifts you have received. How can you use those gifts to serve others? Our faithfulness to God includes being good stewards of what is given to us. Use your gifts mindfully today, remembering Faith and how freely she used hers while she was with us on this earth.

I can almost hear Faith now. Forgive. Let it go. Give it to God. God has a plan.

And Faith would be so right.

The Lord Himself, no respecter of person, forgave us all when He sent His only Son as a Lamb to be slain for our sins. How much more then must we be willing to forgive?

Help me, Lord, to forgive as You forgive me.

There were so many times I wondered how in the world Faith could stand by while she was being attacked verbally. The more hatefulness was spewed towards and about her, the more she would pray for that person.

Faith abided in the scripture. This I know without a shadow of a doubt in my heart. Faith’s mission in life was to live a life pleasing to God. She refused to allow any person or circumstance sway her from this mission.

Let’s all let this Word soak into our hearts and minds today. Especially if you’re struggling with anger or bitterness. Because I know this is a passage Faith would point us to in times like these.

If ever we begin to feel less than, unimportant, or lacking in anything, let us remember God’s promises. His word is full of promises, and let me tell you, my God does not make empty promises. If His word says it, we can hold fast to it.

Today I’m holding fast to the promise that He will never leave me, nor forsake me.

My heart is heavy, but I woke up with this scripture on my mind. So I got out of bed and did a little doodling.

Tragedy happens in this life. Bad things happen to good people. But one promise we can hold fast to is this…if we run this race and live pleasing to Him, in the end, we will hear Him say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

I want to be found faithful.

It’s so easy and so human to want to keep our burdens to ourselves. We don’t want pity. We feel shame. We think we can carry it all.

But we need each other.

God created us unique in our humanity. He created us with companionship in mind.

Don’t carry your burdens alone. When the weight becomes too heavy and you feel like you might crumble under the weight, lay your burdens on your sister’s shoulders. Let them help you carry it. That’s what we were made to do.

Faith had a heart pure and filled with love. No matter what hateful filth was spewed about or towards her, Faith was steady in her response…”They can do so much better. I wish they would get help. Their life doesn’t have to be this way.”

Faith saw the best in others because her eyes and hope were fixed on her Savior. She knew the One in whom she’d found her hope and salvation. Let all of us who knew Faith read this Word today and let it sink into our hearts and minds. When anger and bitterness want to take root, return to the Word that we all know Faith would point us to.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you.