Faith.

Faith. This is a word we tend to throw around loosely. But what really is “faith”. The bible tells us in Hebrews that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” I  have a canvas hanging in my house with this description of faith:  When you come to the edge of all the light you have known and are about to step out into the darkness, faith is knowing one of two things will happen…there will be something to stand on or you will be taught how to fly.

I love this image. In our secular world we talk about “taking a leap of faith”. A “leap”…making the jump without being sure where we will land. I think way back with Abraham…when he was called to a foreign land…a place far away from everything he ever knew. He took a “leap of faith” trusting that God would guide him… provide for him… teach him how to fly. This is the same faith that we are holding on to now as our departure date approaches.  As we prepare to leave for Zambia, our humanness tends to surface. Fears and insecurities about the unknown take over leaving us with a sense of anxiety and uneasiness.

But this is how I feel when I’m depending on “me”…when I’m looking to “me” for the answers…looking to “me” to fix things. But God doesn’t call us to “fix our own stuff”. God calls us to live a life of faith. He tells us to lay our burdens at HIS feet. When I look to God and His word all my insecurities in this life melt away. God reassures us time and time again that He loves us!  “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.”

Take a “leap of faith” today and trust in the Lord. God will provide a place for you to stand…or He will teach you how to fly. Sounds pretty good to me.