Faith it Till' you Make it
Hello lovelies! I hope all is well! It's that busy time of year we all love so much! Finals, graduations, kids getting out of school, yard work, all that great stuff! On the bright side we're right around the corner from poolside lounging and Summer vacations! Can I get an amen?!
So here's the deal... I'll be turning 20 in July (sorry mom for bringing that up, but we gotta face facts sooner or later). Now, I'm not claiming to be this great mature adult by any means... I think I give up that right every time I let my mom answer questions for me during doctor visits! However, I have found in my 20 years that faith is a trait that evolves with you as you get older. With every passing year it seems it gets harder to place things in God's hand, and more importantly to LEAVE them there...
If you've grown up around any kind of church or faith having relatives I'm sure you've heard "just have faith the size of a mustard seed".
Ever wonder why the scripture uses something as small as a mustard seed? In my mind it's because God knew that any larger object was just out of the question for us to relinquish. Having complete faith means having complete loss of control. Things only grow by being left in the dirt. You can't expect to grow a garden by digging up the seeds you pnce planted in faith.
A mustard seed... How many of us have sat down and envisioned this tiny object? I know I have tons of times. Then, afterwards feeling completely sure that I had at least that much faith. Yup I was all set. When in all actuality somewhere in the back of my mind I was already planning a million back up plans. The seed sized faith I was supposed to have was shrinking to something even smaller...like flea sized faith... and just like a flea I found myself hopping from solution to solution feeding off my need to be in control. All the while God is saying just calm down, and give it to me and you will grow because of it.
Honestly, I can see why having faith in someone other than ourselves is a struggle. Most of us have the mentality "if you want something done right, do it yourself". Or does anyone else have a panic attack while decorating a Christmas tree with a child? That right there is enough to cause a significant amount of anxiety! It's hard to give up control, so very hard. We tend to think we can only rely on ourselves. No one has us like we have us. Kids have so much faith because they have to rely solely on those around them. They can decorate the tree like a crazy person because someone is going to come behind them and separate the 5 red ornaments from the same spot. I'm striving every day to give my tree that I decorated so awfully over to Jesus. It seems silly but it's so true! Trying to be in complete control of all aspects of your life can be mentally, physically, and emotionally exhausting. Find your rest in Jesus.
Mothers often experience this same treatment. More times than not I find myself asking my mom for advice, and then turn right around and come up with a "better" solution. With Mother's Day coming up I can't help but be thankful for the amazing mother I have. She has been my rock and most loyal friend. Someone worthy of my complete faith. The perfect example, it's because of her I know what the picture of a faith having Godly woman looks like.
As a mother, Mary knew first hand that giving up control was not easy. In her case she faced the hardest thing a mother ever has to. I just know that in her mind she was trying desperately to find every back up plan there was. However, she had to trust in something bigger than her.
Having faith isn't always easy, but it's worth it. Let God have complete control of the steering wheel. He has your best interest in mind and wants only good things for you!
