Faith is peace in the midst of a storm, determination in the midst of adversity, and safety in the midst of trouble. For nothing can touch a soul
that is protected by faith
.
Faith
is the ability not to panic.
Faith
is a gift from God that He makes available to anyone who wants it. All
we have to do to get it is ask Him.
Here's an account of faith shown by a young girl in the
middle of adversity from an unknown writer.
Years ago, I was enthralled as I listened
to a pastor who for several years had faithfully served the church. His
executive responsibilities had taken him all over this country. As he
concluded his message, he told of one of the most frightening yet
thought-provoking experiences of his life.
He had been on a long flight from one
place to another. The first warning of the approaching problems came
when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten your seat belts. Then,
after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages
at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure
your seat belt is fastened."
As he looked around the aircraft, it
became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.
Later, the voice of the announcer said, "We are so sorry that we are
unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of
us."
And then the storm broke. The ominous
cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines.
Lightening lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great
plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the
airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as
if it were about to crash.
The pastor confessed that he shared the
discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around
the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and
alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were
wondering if they would make it through the storm.
Then, I suddenly saw a little girl.
Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet
beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and
everything within her small world was calm and orderly.
Sometimes she
closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten
her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was
being buffeted by the terrible storm, when it lurched this way and that,
as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were
scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and
unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.
It was not surprising therefore, that
when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers
were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl
whom he had watched for such a long time. Having commented about the
storm and behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.
The sweet child replied, "Sir, my dad is
the pilot, and he is taking me home."
There are many kinds of storms that
pound us: Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms
that can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into
apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and
let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our
feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened
sky.
Let us remember tha Our Father is the Pilot, He is in control and He is taking us home ...
Faith is trusting in a power greater than
ourselves. Knowing that whatever happens, this power will carry
us through anything. It is believing in ourselves and having courage to stand up for what
we believe in. |