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Have Faith

September 25th, 2019 | by Pamela Simon | Comments Off on Have Faith


 

Have Faith

Hi There,

“Have faith.” How many times have you heard that simple, yet powerful phrase? What does “have faith” really mean?

Have Faith: is it real or just another social media post?

Like many people, I first learned about faith from the church my family attended. Since the beginning of time, faith has been at the center of almost all religions.

Since I was a child I was told on numerous occasions, “have faith, God will lead you in the right direction.”

For the most part, I really believed this. Especially when I had to make a decision that would have an impact on my life.

And when things go your way, you tend to believe having faith is all you need.

Just look at all the social media posts regarding faith.

“Faith can move Mountains”

“Let your faith be bigger than your fear”

Many of these posts are inspirational and reinforce having faith. Yet, many times in my life I’ve wondered…

How do you keep faith when life isn’t going as planned?

Unfortunately, I don’t know anyone who hasn’t experienced disappointment, heartache or grief in their lifetime. Even children face downturns in life.

  • Not making a team or being asked to join a group
  • Receiving a bad grade after studying so hard
  • Not getting the job or promotion you wanted
  • Losing friends, family, pets

The amount of losses one experiences over a lifetime can really add up. So, again, I wonder…

How do you keep Faith during life challenges?

Before I can explore that question, I’d like to ask a different one: What does faith mean to you?

For me, Faith is the belief in a positive outcome without any tangible proof.

When my husband Larry died and I was left alone to raise three boys, I’ll admit, there were many instances where fear and pain was all I could see. In those moments I found it really difficult to have faith.

I worried about what kind of future my boys would have without a father.

I worried about what kind of life I would have without Larry by my side.

I felt very alone, like I was existing but not living. There was no joy in my life, only sadness when I thought about the future.

Surrounded by so much darkness, there were many times I wondered: “Could something as small as a five-letter word, faith, really have that much of an impact?”

Not long after Larry died, in the privacy and solitude of my home, I questioned everything, including my faith.

Could I really rely on faith to get me through such a horrific time?

In searching for the answer, I revisited my past and the other times I relied on faith to help me through.

Be an active participant in where Faith takes you

As I evaluate my life, I realize I’ve always had faith. Yet, the times I was successful is when I used my faith to give me courage to take the first step.

When Larry died and I was left with paralyzing fear that my kids and I may not heal, I turned to faith. Faith gave me the ability to believe my kids and I could heal, but it was up to me to get us the tools we needed to heal.

I chose to have faith that each step I took was with the belief it would yield a positive outcome.

I chose to have faith in myself that if the step didn’t yield a positive outcome, then I could take another step in a different direction.

The more steps I took, the more I relied on faith to give me strength to take another… and another.

It turned out when I questioned my faith the most was when I realized how much I really needed it.

Throughout my whole life, faith has been the catalyst I needed to make a move.

Faith doesn’t guarantee a positive outcome

Once you take a step, don’t give up on faith, regardless of the outcome. Take ownership of the choices you made. If it turned out to be the wrong choice, well, have faith once more that you can do something about it.

Sometimes you must dig deep to find Faith

It was in my darkest hour that faith brought me a light, a glimpse of what could be. But what faith didn’t give me was a road map, I had to figure that out on my own. What I’ve learned over the years is that the two go hand-in-hand.

The more faith I have, the more I’m willing to take a step and vice versa.

So while I understand how easily the phrase “have faith” gets thrown around these days, I want you to know that I really do have faith.

I have faith the boys and I will continue to heal and find happiness.

I have faith that you will too.

I wish you and your family much love, happiness and faith as you face each day.

Many Blessings,

Pam




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