By Faith

Greetings Dear Reader,

Heb. 11:6 Without the conviction that God exists, it is impossible to please God.  The only way to approach and draw near to God is to believe that he is there and that he rewards those who seek him out, craving to know him.  – ATT

It astounds me that such a simple thing can be so difficult.  It is in belief that things happen and yet I am sometimes astounded at my level of unbelief.  This unbelief is not a conscious thing.  It is in my actions and attitudes.  When things go sideways it can take time for me to remember that the One in whom I believe already knew that sideways was coming. 

I have written about how control of things is an illusion and how I am learning to be more a leaf on the wind that trying to be the wind.  In the moment, when things I have planned and positioned go south I am trying to shorten the time between the realization of the change and the acceptance of it as God’s opportunity for me to trust him.  It is my chance to seek him more urgently. 

I entered this work week thinking that all was well and that I could breeze into the new term with all things under control.  Within two hours all that I had placed and planned was in the wind.  Within four I realized that the task before me was insurmountable in the time remaining.  I am sorry to say that my faith did not kick in until much later that evening.  The turmoil occurred because of a good thing.  I have no sorrow or sense of being wronged by what occurred.  I am truly happy for the precipitating events that caused my turmoil.  What I want to improve is my response time.

I wish to get to the place where the winds of change are the very things that fill my sails with faith.  I want to live and move in the moment by faith.  I want that to be the thing that courses through me when I lack understanding.  It is in this faith that I can begin to fill my craving to know God more deeply and richly.  It is under the full sail of belief that I can find my way home.

The Answer

A Rose, in tatters on the garden path,

Cried out to God and murmured 'gainst His Wrath,

Because a sudden wind at twilight's hush

Had snapped her stem alone of all the bush.

And God, Who hears both sun-dried dust and sun,

Had pity, whispering to that luckless one,

"Sister, in that thou sayest We did not well --

What voices heardst thou when thy petals fell?"

And the Rose answered, "In that evil hour

A voice said, `Father, wherefore falls the flower?

For lo, the very gossamers are still.'

And a voice answered, `Son, by Allah's will!'"

Then softly as a rain-mist on the sward,

Came to the Rose the Answer of the Lord:

"Sister, before We smote the Dark in twain,

Ere yet the stars saw one another plain,

Time, Tide, and Space, We bound unto the task

That thou shouldst fall, and such an one should ask."

Whereat the withered flower, all content,

Died as they die whose days are innocent;

While he who questioned why the flower fell

Caught hold of God and saved his soul from Hell. – Rudyard Kipling

Wishing you joy in the journey,

Aramis Thorn

Mat 13:52 So Jesus said to them, "That is why every writer who has become a disciple of Christ’s rule of the universe is like a home owner. He liberally hands out new and old things from his great treasure store."