Monday, June 23, 2014

A Bigger Faith

Friends of Faith: (See the PS at end.)

Just a short month ago in a personal reflection I wrote:
“We are under the mission of God, and it is God that gives us our mission. (Eph 5: 21-33)
“It seems as if every time I have become very comfortable on my journey with God he gives me/us a new mission.
“My life has always been relatively comfortable – not easy, but I have always had what I have needed. Occasionally what I have received has been taken away (examples given)… But I have always been given more… (examples given).” (I used examples of how life’s natural progression (farewells), while sad and sometimes even painful, had enriched me with new and, looking back, greater, and often times unexpected blessings.)
 
Last Wednesday, as the kids and grandkids who had spent several days with us all headed back to their respective homes, jobs and activities, leaving us once again empty nested and quiet, Stan and I reflected on the many blessings we share.

And we talked about how we hoped that not only did we share the gifts that God has given us together—the faith, the joys, and the blessings—but that we were also wisely discerning and using these gifts for the service of others as God intends and calls us to do.

God really only asks for one thing: to have a bigger faith in him. And he gave us the two greatest commandments so that we would constantly search for that bigger faith—in him and through him.
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mk 12: 30-31
 
A faith and trust in God, and love and service for others. Not a faith to find and then keep to ourselves, but a bigger faith that shares and which searches for and gives outside of ourselves.
 
On Friday morning, God quite literally “set us a fire.”
 
He said to Stan and I: “Don’t be comfortable in the faith and blessings I have given you. I have given you much, and to those I give much, more will be asked. I have a new mission for you, and I will guide you: IF you will grow a bigger faith and IF you will let me guide you; if you will love me, if you will trust me, and if you will serve me; if you will serve others by allowing them to serve you; if you will all grow a bigger faith in me together.”
 
We have already seen many blessings, the biggest of those being the safety of all of our employees, volunteers and the fire crews, for each of you and your prayers, and the not so big, for the many records that were spared.
 
And we are trusting that our prayers for timely guidance will be answered. We know we will face many more challenges, challenges which will require us to have a bigger faith in God. And it gives us great comfort and peace to know that we are not in this faith journey alone.
 
Why does God ask or allow us to “suffer?” For the same reason that God asked his Son to suffer, so that thru the example of Christ, we would each become a piece of Christ (just as we are all members of the one body of Christ) so that we would help each other grow bigger together in our faith in Christ.
 
This journey of life here on earth is not meant to be easy but it is meant to be joyful. The journey here is meant for us all to help each other get to heaven by growing faithfully dependent on Him, by loving and serving Him and each other and in doing that we find much joy.
 
All of the stuff we may have lost is not even a mark on the ground, compared to all that we have found in shared faith, love, joy and smiles with you over this weekend and that we anticipate in faith in the coming weeks.
Heavenly Father, our greatest blessing is found in our faith in You. Thank you for the love You constantly show us through the many blessings of friends and family. Continue to protect and bless all who serve you, but most especially today those who serve us in any way. In faith, we ask you to guide us and give us our new direction. Just as the two greatest commandments ask, help us to put you and the needs of others first. Grow in us, and through us, a bigger faith for all. We place our trust in You. Amen.
 
This is only the first I am sure of many thank you’s: for your continued prayers, your love, your support, and your willing hands. We ask that God grant each of you his grace and blessings by growing in and through a bigger faith.
God is trying to set a fire in all of our lives. May we open the door of our hearts to allow God to set us on fire so that we will grow into a bigger faith in Him,
Blessings and our heartfelt thank you’s,
In the Peace of Christ,
Charlotte & Stan
PS: In order not to fill your email boxes (please feel free to use mine) and to give you our daily prayer need updates I will use this blogspot as a “caring page”to update you on a more frequent basis.

1 comment:

  1. Charlotte & Stan - The light of your faith brightly reflects God's love and provision, even in the midst of this incredible trial. It is a blessing, a fragrant offering to God, and an inspiration to this Christian brother. You'll continue to be in my prayers as you go about the hard work ahead. May the grace & peace of Christ be with you as you go!

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