Faith

I read this quote in the SUSIE mag (it's a christian magazine kinda like Brio)

"Our faith doesn't grow most when we see miracles, but when we see nothing and still choose to believe that God keeps his promises. That is true faith."

-Heather Boersma

The cool thing in this quote is that Heather's mom has breast cancer. Heather didn't share her story about her family's faith when her mom was officially a five year survivor of cancer, her mom is still fighting cancer. I think we get so impatient when God won't answer our prayers that we don't just have faith when it doesn't happen right then. Think of how long it took Jesus to come- like hundreds of years. Think of the guy Simeon in Luke 2:

"It had been revealed to him [Simeon] by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ."

I know if I were Simeon, I'd be like 'Gee, well I might live forever, the Messiah has taken long enough already!' And if I was getting way old and frail and the Messiah wasn't coming, I think I might kill myself.

But Simeon never killed himself. Instead, he waited faithfully and kept his eyes open for when God would tell him it was time to meet the Christ. Simeon died in peace, having seen Jesus.

The one thing I think we all do is ask God to do something, and when he doesn't answer right away we stop looking for his answer. Sometimes, he gives us a great answer, but we don't even notice, and we don't seize the opportunity he gives us.

The beginning of 8th grade, I felt like my friendships and God lived in two separate boxes, and the two could never mix. I prayed for God to bring along friends that could talk with me about God and encourage me to grow with him. God showed me several people around me that were the answer to my prayer... two months after I had asked for them. So I had already been so closed-minded to the fact that I did have wonderful Christian friends, and so sometimes I would leave out God in conversations and engage in stuff that always made me feel empty. In the end, I'd ask God to help me with friends (see the circle?). Poor God, he probably said the same thing a billion times before I started to clue in.

Even still, I have to be conscious about what I'm doing with my friendships, but God is helping me. And thanks to Tallahassee, I now have a new craving for God-based, purpose- fulfilling conversations with my friends.

I think this week we should all look back and find something we prayed for (this is when it's good to write prayers down), and think if that prayer has ever been answered in any way. If not, keep your eyes open for the answer, and know that God will answer. Because he either says Yes, No, or Wait, and any answer he gives works for the good of those who love Him.