One person's faith journey

'How did you come to Christ'? I asked her.  She told me a story of surviving Germany during WWII and emigrating to the U.S. ‘I never would have found Christ in Germany,’ she said, 'but in America I couldn't get away from Christians.' When her husband left her with 3 teenage boys to raise, she turned to a local church.  These folks reached out to her boys and helped her through a very rough time. ‘I still remember the service I was in where I felt God’s presence and knew that it was going to be alright,’ she said. She raised her boys without a father, with the help of her church. ‘They turned out pretty good.’ She said. 

When her now adult son was hit by a car while jogging she moved to Colorado Springs from back east. She slept in hospitals for two years, and again folks from a new church reached out to her. Although her son wrestled with a severe brain injury from the accident, she rejoiced when she saw her son’s arm healed miraculously. She never saw any contradiction in the fact that God didn’t heal his brain injury. Over the years she and her husband (she had remarried) spent all their resources helping him. She prayed for her son and cared for him for years until he passed away.  Her eyes shone with God’s faithfulness as she told me her story.  Some might be driven to skepticism but I saw her faith in her eyes. 

What shaped her faith, wasn't getting the life she wanted from God, but finding Him faithful in the life He'd given her! This tested faith is more precious than gold and will result in praise and glory and honor to Jesus when He comes. (I Peter 1:7) Such a person is on the lookout to 'strengthen the hands that are weak' and make sure 'no bitter root springs up' - two very common poor responses to hardship.  So be encouraged!  The Father is doing a good work in your life. Now reach out to someone today who needs a smiling face, helpful hand or word of encouragement.