In every way that September's daily walk in the Word spoke Peace to my soul, October's work revealed the absolute importance of building a solid Faith.
It is indeed Faith that is carrying us through these most uncertain times.
It is Faith that speaks to us: You have been chosen by God for excellence. (1 Peter 2:9)
It is Faith that proclaims: ALL things are working together for our GOOD. (Romans 8:28)
It is Faith that promises: He shall supply ALL our needs. (Philippians 4:19)
Now, Faith is the substance of all things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
~Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
The Book of Ecclesiastes tells us "to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the Heaven." (v 3:1)
Now is the time for Faith.
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul begins by thanking God for his good friend. He expresses how much he misses Timothy and cherishes the memory of their last encounter. Paul goes on to share: "That precious memory triggers another: your honest faith—and what a rich faith it is, handed down from your grandmother Lois to your mother Eunice, and now to you!" (v 1:3)
This scripture triggers the memory of my own grandparents, and how truly fortunate I am to have been raised in the Faith. Even as a child, I possessed innate confidence that I was praying to a God who listened and cared - a God who truly, truly loved me. Of course, I offer up immeasurable gratitude to my parents and grandparents, who made conscious decisions to raise us as followers of Christ. I cherish the family traditions that they have passed on, especially those that revolve more around the liturgical calendar than the calendar year.
Unlike many I know, I had the privilege of growing up in a huge extended family, my mom being 1 of 11, and my dad 1 of 8. I actually lived in an apartment two floors down from my paternal grandparents up until the age of four, moving just down the block from them until my teenage years. They undoubtedly played an integral role in my upbringing and molded my faith from early on. A treasured Confirmation Keepsake they gave me bears scripture from Romans 8:14 and is tucked safely into my Bible at that verse, serving as a continual reminder of their love for me even today.
While I only had the opportunity to meet my maternal grandparents a handful of times in my life, as they lived on the other side of the country, I am grateful for memories of the phone calls, letters, and care packages that we relied on to connect and send our love to one another across the miles. When I was first born, my grandfather sent me a watch, with a note on a tiny post-it that reads "Seek and you shall find." This too remains safely tucked into my Bible at Matthew 7:7.
Love of God and family has been the foundation upon which I have built my entire life and career. My children have been baptized and are receiving their sacraments in the same churches their father and I were baptized in. It has brought their grandparents great joy to bear witness to this. My absolute greatest pleasure in this life is listening to the voices of my babies pray to the very same God who has so graciously revealed himself to me in His own time.
My experiences as a Catholic school teacher and Catechist have allowed me to connect with thousands of youth through this shared love of Christ. I praise God for the freedom to openly share my beliefs with others, in a world where so many are persecuted for this vital Message every single day.
Living through these uncertain times in our national and global history, I believe it's more important now than ever before, for us to cling to our Faith. We must trust that no matter what circumstances are taking place around us, the Lord Himself is always faithful to us.
If your faith needs a little boost today, I invite you to join me on this daily journey. Welcome God into your heart and ask Him to reveal Himself to you through His word.
Spending time in the Word is the key to building up our Faith.
"So then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."
~Romans 10:17
Dear friends, God has a message for us all today that will surely build our faith. We just have to open up our spiritual ears - our hearts - so that we may receive it.
I hope this post was a blessing to you today!
"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." ~Proverbs 25:11 KJV
Kommentare