Without Faith

I laughed this week as I realized how much I go back and forth between conviction that brings peace and then hesitation or doubt that creates anxiety.

This week it was the latter…again.

I found myself in the middle of the fog of life, and I kept thinking about the difference between what I know and what I actually do.

The thing that I know – faith isn’t about seeing things clearly…it’s trusting in our God who does. 

What I keep doing – I let the screams of doubt and fear drown out the peace that comes when I release everything to the One who sees and knows all.

So I pulled out this poem I wrote several months ago…I like how it captures that tension between knowing and doing:

***

“Without Faith”

I’m looking out, the fog brings fear,
I worry about what might appear,
I’m thinking through just what might be,
I tremble at things I cannot see;
I wonder if I’ll be okay,
If things get tough, don’t go my way,
Each threat seems very real to me,
With fog there’s no security.

It just keeps getting worse.

I focus on uncertainty,
I know that it’s consuming me,
I’m heading to a darker place,
Cause I don’t know what I will face;
You’ve shown me I can trust in You,
But in the fog, I’m reluctant to,
The fear is overwhelming me,
This is not where I want to be.

In my despair, I open up to You.

I bow my head, I’m seeking peace,
And now in faith, to You release,
What I can’t see, I’ll trust to You,
You’ll be with me and help me through;
Regardless of the fog I face,
I can find comfort in Your grace,
I trust in all Your promises,
Fully believing Your witnesses.

I feel calm now in this fog.

I know I’ll still have fog in life,
That clouds the future, creates strife,
But I will make the faith-filled choice,
To see the fog and still rejoice;
It’s through my faith I please You, Lord,
And in my seeking, You reward,
For in my trials, I will grow,
But without faith, I’d never know.

***

Faith doesn’t guarantee that the path will be easy or that the way ahead will suddenly become clear.

But faith does allow us to transfer the burdens we’re carrying to the One who already knows the path and the plan.

In the fog that surrounds us, we have a choice:

• Faith vs fear
• Trust vs trepidation
• Peace vs anxiety
• Transferring vs carrying
• Doing vs just knowing

I know which ones I prefer.

I’m still learning to choose wisely…one foggy choice at a time.

Stan