A Girl's Love & Faith

About six years ago, I went to the Pocono's for a winter retreat with my church. It was a small, simple gathering of about forty kids.

We were not yet teens but slowly coming to realize ourselves as more than just children.

Since I was new to the church, a few friends of mine gave me a basic overview on the kids of our youth group. I can still remember a few random faces and the descriptions that went with them:

"Oh, that's so-and-so. He's such a pussy; he wet the bed at last year's retreat." or "That's the kid that kicked so-and-so's butt cuz he bothered his sister."

Yet the one that haunts me with such clarity to this day is of a little girl, probably in the third grade at the time. With uneven locks of greasy hair adorning her misshapen face, she was constantly bombarded with ridicule from the heartless and unsympathetic. She was born with a physical ailment that affected her coordination and altered her facial features. It would be almost a daily retreat tradition for us to yell "retard" as she passed by on her way to the chapel.

Yet, as the final day of our retreat neared, we all prepared our hearts for the most emotional night...the night in which voices would cry, hands would be raised, and eyes would flow freely without considering what the person next to you would think the following day. Yet, instead of pouring our hearts out in a scattered groups on the floor as expected, our pastor told us to stay in our seats for a moment.

After about three minutes of composed silence, he said with calm, monotone sincerity,

"Who here loves Jesus?"

Everyone raised their hand; some even shouted small cries of their devotion.

"Who here really loves Jesus?" he repeated.

Again, everyone raised their arms, some fists clenched, accompanied by countless amen's and hallelujahs. Then, as the silence reentered the room, he slowly produced a seven-inch long, steel stake from behind his back. With eyes of ice, he said,

"Then those of you that really love Jesus please come to the front of the room...and suffer his fate."

A confused and scared silence congested the air of the room. No one dared make a sound, even a cough, for fear that everyone else may look at him. It seemed as though everything had been frozen in a heavy fog that engulfed the room. Watches seemed to have stopped. Eyes ceased to blink. The only thing that moved was the flowing perspiration as we all waited for something to happen. The pastor clenched the stake high above his head.

"Who here is willing to place their hand out for this stake to puncture it? Who? WHO?!"

A small, scraping sound arose from the back row. It was the sound of a little girl, whimpering and stumbling, slowly rising from her chair. She broke the expectations of every person that had looked down on her, the retard, the ugly retard, just as Jesus had been resurrected in spite of the Romans' hatred of him. She bore the weight of everyone's stares and snickers as she limped up the aisle to the front of the room, just as Jesus had arduously carried his cross. Slowly lifting her ugly head to the pastor, she muttered,

"I will."

Tears coursed from the pastor's eyes as he asked her with fervent conviction,

"Are you willing to pierce your hands for Jesus? Are you?!"

Her face was streaked with the rivers of tears, not emotional tears like that of all of ours had been, but spiritual tears flowing from her dull eyes. She slowly peeled her arms from her sides and lifted them to the man before her.

"Yes."

Not much changed the next day. She didn't miraculously lose her physical defects. She was still made fun of...mostly by the kids that weren't at the last night's service. And I'm sure that if I asked any of the kids that were in that room the final night if they ever made fun of anyone ever again that they would all say yes. But the fact of the matter is, that occurrence will stay with all of us, the teachers, the kids, everyone, for the rest of our lives.

And perhaps we should all stop being so judgmental, so ready to accuse or ridicule or hate, and stop modeling ourselves to be like the Romans. Because as much as it surprised us all, the only one of us that approached the pastor with a sincere courage was that "retard, that ugly retard" girl.

And even though we already know to do this, do we really always follow it? Well, that just shows the understanding and love of Jesus, of how much he can allow himself to be spit on and laughed at and still forgive us...just like a humble, disabled little girl with a monumental spirit. Pass this on...and I hope this girl's courage and sincere faith has affected you and will remind you of Christ's love as much as it has me.

Author Unknown

Faith

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. 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.

And then, I suddenly saw a girl to whom the storm meant nothing. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat and was reading a book. 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, he 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."

Author Unknown

Faith Can Move Mountains

A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member.

Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. Unfortunately, the church with its undersized lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard.

Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain moving faith." They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week.

At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen". "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too."

The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in", a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. "Excuse me, Reverend. I'm from Acme Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge shopping mall. We need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly."

The little church was dedicated the next Sunday as originally planned and there were far more members with "mountain moving faith" on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week!

Would you have shown up for that prayer meeting? Some people say faith comes from miracles. But others know: MIRACLES COME FROM FAITH!

Author Unknown

Faith Is Everything

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. He even has scripture memorized! When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would have already been raptured!"

He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. And give him a bible verse.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, Mike, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood. Then I memorize a bible verse.

Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I always choose the positive side of life. And then I give them a bible verse.

"Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Michael, said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people will affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. And you choose whether God is a part of your life or not. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live life." I reflected on what Michael said.

Soon thereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. And then I memorized a bible verse.

Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back.

I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied. "If I were any better, I would have already been raptured! Wanna see my scars?" And he recited a bible verse.

I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well being of my soon to be born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or I could choose to die. I chose to live. Then all these bible verses came to mind and comforted me.

"Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "...the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man.' I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. It was then I recited the Lord's Prayer out loud for all to hear.

"Well, then there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. She asked if I was allergic to anything. "Yes, I replied." The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, "Gravity." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live and my guardian angels are all around. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead".

Michael lived thanks to God, the angels, skill of his doctors and also because of his determination and amazing faith. I learned from him that every day we have the choice how we live.

Faith, after all, is everything!

Author Unknown

Faith Is Letting Go

A traveler upon a lonely road was set upon by bandits who robbed him of all he had. They then led him into the depths of the forest. There in the darkness they tied a rope to the limb of a great tree, and bade him catch hold of the end of it.

Swinging him out into the blackness of the surrounding space [and not being able to see anything], they told him he was hanging over the brink of the a giddy precipice. The moment he let go he would be dashed to pieces on the rocks below. And then they left him. His soul was filled with horror at the awful doom impending. He clutched despairingly the end of the swaying rope.

But each dreadful moment only made his fate more sure. His strength steadily failed. At last he could hold on no longer. The end had come. His clenched fingers relaxed their compulsive grip.

He fell — six inches, to the solid earth at his feet! It was only a ruse of the robbers to gain time in escaping. And when he let go it was not to death, but to the safety which had been waiting him through all his time of terror.

Clutching will not save anyone from his hopelessness. It is only Satan’s trick to keep you from being afforded security and peace in the solid promises of God. And all the while you are swinging over the supposed precipice of fear and mistrust.

Let go! It is God’s plan that you fall — not to defeat, but into His arms, the solid Rock. As soon as you recognize your sheer helplessness and your failing strength, you let go. And falling upon Him, your fear goes, your mistrust goes, and the blessed assurance comes forever.

Faith is letting go…

Faith Manages

We live by faith, not by sight. (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)
I was watching a rerun of an episode of Babylon 5 in which it seemed like the entire cause was lost. One of the characters said to another. "We have no hope left." The other responded, "We have faith."

"But what hope do we have when all we have is faith?" The cynic asked.

And all the woman said was "Faith manages."

There is great truth in that statement. When all else fails in life, faith manages. When you are down to your last resource, faith manages. When it seems like your world is falling apart around you, faith manages. When everyone and everything you hold dear is lost or has deserted you, faith manages. In the good times, faith manages. In the hard times, faith manages. In the darkness of night, faith manages. In the desert places, faith manages. On the mountain peak, faith manages. In the valley, faith manages. When every human hope vanishes away, faith manages.

What are you facing today? Fear, depression, weariness, financial problems, marital distress, family problems, physical ailments, emotional distress? It doesn't matter, what matters is that you have faith in God. He said he will never leave you or forsake you. He said he would not allow you to face more than you can bear. He said that he is a ready help in time of trouble. He said that in the world you would have tribulation, but that he had overcome the world.

So, today, no matter what challenges life throws in your path, I'm here today to tell you in no uncertain terms: if all you have is faith, that's enough because when the darkness falls, FAITH MANAGES!

Author Unknown

The Charles Blondin Story

The amazing story of Charles Blondin, a famous French tightrope walker, is a wonderful illustration of what true faith is.

Blondin's greatest fame came on September 14, 1860, when he became the first person to cross a tightrope stretched 11,000 feet (over a quarter of a mile) across the mighty Niagara Falls.

People from both Canada and America came from miles away to see this great feat. He walked across, 160 feet above the falls, several times... each time with a different daring feat , once in a sack, on stilts, on a bicycle, in the dark, and blindfolded. One time he even carried a stove and cooked an omelet in the middle of the rope!

A large crowd gathered and the buzz of excitement ran along both sides of the river bank. The crowd “Oohed and Aahed!” as Blondin carefully walked across one dangerous step after another, pushing a wheelbarrow holding a sack of potatoes. Upon reaching the other side, the crowd's applause was louder than the roar of the falls!

Blondin suddenly stopped and addressed his audience: "Do you believe I can carry a person across in this wheelbarrow?" The crowd enthusiastically yelled, "Yes! You are the greatest tightrope walker in the world. We believe!"

"Okay," said Blondin, "Who wants to get into the wheelbarrow."

As far as the Blondin story goes, no one did at the time!

This unique story illustrates a real life picture of what faith actually is. The crowd watched these daring feats. They said they believed. But.their actions proved they truly did not believe.
Similarly, it is one thing for us to say we believe in God. However, it's true faith when we believe God and put our faith and trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Author Unknown

The Rock

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light and the Savior appeared. The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain. Seeing that the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Evil Impulse decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man's weary mind: "You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn't budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it." Thus giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure, these thoughts discouraged and disheartened the "Why kill myself over this?" he thought. "I'll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort and that will be good enough."

And that he planned to do until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord. "Lord", he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"

The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push.

And now you come to me, with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? "Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewed and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.

Yet you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom. This you have done. "I, my friend, will now move the rock."

At times when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God wants is just simple obedience and faith in Him....... By all means, exercise the faith that move mountains, but it is still God who moves the mountains.

Author Unknown